The Perfect Puzzle Piece
by FreakyFreak17
Summary: Wally and Kuki have long decided that becoming a couple was too illogical for them. Therefore, they decide to go out in search of their perfect match. Will they find their perfect puzzle piece out there? Or is the puzzle simpler than it seems?
1. Socalled Friends

**_Author's Note: (10-24-07) Okay, I haven't posted any stories in AGES. It's mainly because I haven't had time, I've had nothing to write, or I'm just rewriting old material. But I'm sure most of you have noticed that I've had the habit of posting something then deleting it shortly after. That's because I've been producing CRAP and this is the first time in a while that I'm actually satisfied with I just wrote. Anyway, I won't delete this entry... But I want readers to be alert that updates can probably take a while since I'm vulnerable to writer's block. As for now, enjoy the first chapter and I hope you like it. _:)**

**Ex  
**

**Chapter 1: So-Called Friendship**

"And that's how Rainbow Monkeys are made!" Kuki giggled as she concluded her story.

There was an awkward silence in the table after that. All that could be heard was the clattering of silver ware onto plates and mindless chattering from the people around the Cheezaria. Within the confines of that restaurant booth, where the whole gang sat, there was only silence.

On the very end of the chair, Kuki sat smiling as she waited for a response from anyone. Next to her, Abby was nodding slowly, badly suppressing her lack of interest. After her was Nigel, who merely shifted uncomfortably in his seat, with a sorry smile on his face that seemed to say, "That's great but I really don't care."

Kuki smiled sweetly at the two of them, quietly thankful that they were nice enough to keep their boredom to themselves. Beyond Nigel, however, where the long cushioned bench curved inwards, there was no hope for any positive responses.

Right in front of her, two boys sat sniggering to themselves. Wally and Hoagie didn't listen to her story at all. It wasn't much of a surprise though. Out of everyone in the group, they possessed the least amount of sensitivity. Most of the time, they shamelessly express their lack of interest in Kuki's stories. Well, that applies to Wally at least. Hoagie was definitely nicer. It's even fair to say that he's as sweet as Nigel. It's just that he usually prefers Wally's antics over Kuki's tales. Therefore, she became completely invisible whenever Wally is there and ready to blurt out some crude remark.

"What are y'all laughin' at?" Abby said to them in her usual demanding tone.

"Nothing," Hoagie responded immediately.

"It doesn't look like nothin'."

"Yeah you're right," Wally grinned, "There's definitely something in there, a lot in fact."

Hoagie roared in laughter and was instantly joined by Wally. Nigel, Abby and Kuki could only look at each other in curiosity.

This went on for a couple of minutes. By the time Wally and Hoagie had resulted to gasps between small chuckles, Kuki felt like she was the only one left who didn't know anything because even Nigel and Abby seemed to have figured out what was going on. For some reason, Nigel was shifting uncomfortably again but this time he seemed to be trying to contain a broad grin. Abby, on the other hand, kept rolling her eyes and shaking her head disapprovingly.

Kuki thought for a moment and wondered what everyone was thinking. She didn't want to ask them. She knew that it wouldn't go anywhere. Wally and Hoagie would just keep secrets like they always do, Nigel would merely smile and say that she doesn't need to know, and Abby would just dismiss the topic. All she could do was try to figure it out on her own.

At that moment, she noticed that everyone's eyes seemed to be focusing in the same direction. Abby would turn her head periodically to look, Nigel kept taking quick glances, Hoagie was badly attempting not to stare, and Wally was shamelessly gawking with a big grin still plastered onto his face. Kuki followed the direction of their eyes. When she realized what they were looking at, she was half-horrified.

In the corner of the restaurant where the bar stood, there sat a girl in one of the high chairs. She was wearing a tank top that could barely contain her well-endowed chest and a skirt cut so short that it seemed like only an eight of her long legs were covered. She turned back to Wally and Hoagie.

"You guys are so immature!" She scolded.

"What?" Wally defended with an impish grin, "We're just looking. We're not hurting anyone."

"It's not a laughing matter! She's giving people an excuse to objectify her! It's bad enough that girls are pressured by boys to dress like that, but what you're doing isn't helping any girl to develop a healthy self-image!"

"What are you babbling about? She doesn't need any help with her self-image. With a body like that, she can pretty much do whatever she wants."

"Well what if some pervert starts going after her, huh? What if they try to take advantage? Imagine someone pretending to be nice to her and when all they want is…you know…"

"Well, I'll tell you one thing. With a look like that, even _I_ would be nice to her."

Hoagie smacked his hand over his mouth in an attempt to suppress his laughter. Nigel, whom Abby and Kuki expected to do better, was unfortunately putting all his effort into concealing his smile. It only took one glare from Abby to make them stop. As for Wally and Kuki, they stared at each other intensely as a cold silence fell over them. His eyes were fierce and steady, while hers had changed from simple disappointment to burning fury. Everyone else in the table coiled helplessly for they knew it was coming: another argument between their untamable sexist and their beloved feminist.

"Don't you ever get tired of being such a PIG?" Kuki scowled at Wally.

"Don't you ever get tired of sticking your nose into other people's business?"

"What do you mean by that?"

"It's her choice if she wants to dress like that. She has a right to dress like that. It's not gonna affect you."

" It _does_ affect me! I'm a girl too! What she does will reflect upon me!"

"Yeah, but she's the one I'm looking at! Not you!"

"It doesn't matter! What you're thinking is inappropriate and disrespectful!"

"How do you know what I'm thinking? Are you a mind-reader?"

"No but I recognize a pervert when I see one!"

"Look, she's the one who chose to wear that outfit! Not me! And speaking of which, why don't you try to wear one every once in a while?!"

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

"It means you're an over-dressed, uptight little prat!"

"I dress like what a real lady should!"

"You're not bad-looking, you know! Why don't you dress like it?! Wear a tank top or something, instead of that stupid sweater of yours."

"I'M NOT GOING TO PUT ON SOME SKIMPY LITTLE OUTFIT JUST SO THAT I COULD BE YOUR EYE CANDY!"

"GOOD! I'D RATHER KEEP IT THAT WAY!"

"ALRIGHT THAT'S ENOUGH!" A strong, fierce voice boomed out of Nigel, "You two are making a scene! Stop it before we get thrown out!"

Kuki and Wally were still glowering at each other and fuming heavily, but did as they were told. After all, it takes a lot to make Nigel raise his voice. That was enough to show how annoying their arguments could be to the whole group.

* * *

Wally and Kuki made quite an adorable couple, as most people would agree. Despite the clashing personalities and the constant bickering, there was no denying that they had chemistry. Only one thing comes in the way of their perfect relationship: They're not a couple.

They live in the same neighborhood, go to the same school and even bond with the same people. But despite their equal presence all the time, they could never define themselves as being together.

They hang out at Nigel's house everyday, but they always sit in opposite corners of the room. They eat at the Cheezaria every weekend, but they sit in opposite ends of the booth. They're always part of the group conversation, but never within the same topic. To put it in simplest terms, they are friends who simply don't get along.

Of course, it was unavoidable to avoid contact completely so occasionally they'd speak to each other. Unfortunately, those conversations never went well. They usually result to an argument. After all, they are quite the opposites.

Wally is known as the town rebel, a strong but silent type of guy. Kuki is more like the town princess, widely adored and irresistibly sweet. Even their interests and philosophies contradict. He's a sexist, she's a feminist. He's a realist, she's a dreamer. He's a fighter, she's a lover. It's no surprise that they often find themselves arguing whenever they end up within ten feet of each other.

It was obvious that Wally and Kuki had no trouble showing that they don't get along. However, they aren't as good as they believe themselves to be. Deep within the constant bickering and the numerous cold shoulders that so often occurs between them, their friendship laid upon a hidden connection. Everybody can sense it. Their clashing personalities were like Yin and Yang, two contradictions that balanced each other out. Though they believed that the idea of them together was as odd as a military man marrying a hippie, they can't keep that chemistry from emanating from them. In fact, their connection was as obvious as the North and South ends of a magnet: they are opposites that are attracted to each other.

* * *

Later on the same day that Kuki had her argument with Wally, she came home in a surprisingly lighter mood. To her it was just another ordinary day spent giving Wally the silent treatment, which he gladly returned to her. It was no big deal. It happens all the time.

When she came into her room, she plopped down sideways onto her bed and rested her eyes, allowing the comfort to sink in. After moments of silence, she opened her eyes again. The first thing she saw was a seven-year-old photo on her bedside table. It was a picture of her and the gang from when they were ten years old. There she stood on the very left, a bright smile on her face and arm-to-arm with the young Abby. Right in the middle was Nigel, who even then wore the charming smile that he does now. Next to him is Hoagie, who used to be plump but similarly jolly-looking. When Kuki's eyes finally reached the right side of the photo, an irritating feeling swept upon her. There he was standing separately from the group, with arms crossed and a frown on his face.

Wally was already grumpy and hot-tempered even back then. Kuki used to think that his reason was the fact that he was shortest in the group. But nowadays, he towers over everyone yet he still has the same attitude. In fact, she could only define his present personality as a rebellious heretic who seems to find an oddly perverse pleasure in criticizing almost everything around him. He always has something rude to say, especially when it comes to girls, romance movies and anything else that he would normally dismiss as "unmanly". Sure it was fair to say that he had his own philosophies and viewpoints but the way he expresses them makes him sound as if he enjoys being…

"…A jerk," Kuki said out loud. She followed her statement with a sigh.

She looked at the picture once again and noticed another detail about it: everything about her and Wally in it was opposite. She stood to the very left, while he stood to the very right. She was arm in arm with Abby, while he separated himself from the group. She had a big bright smile on her face, while he had nothing but a childish pout.

That detail means more than it seems. They were indeed opposites from the very beginning of their so-called friendship. Even after all these years, they're still opposites and they still serve as they two ends of the group. Everyone else was neutral. Nigel, being the 'leader' of the group, was like a brother to both of them. Complementary to that was Abby who was like a sister. And of course, Hoagie had two roles: he was Kuki's favorite joker and Wally's partner in crime. When it comes to everyone, they had a loving and well-bonded friendship. When it comes to each other, they were simply awkward.

Kuki finally took her eyes off the photo and looked around her room instead. For the first time in a while, she noticed the little details that she so-often ignores. On one wall was a big, white glass window with white curtains hanging over it. Opposite that was a wall full of unicorn posters and brightly-colored decors. In one corner, there was a pile of stuffed animals. In the other, there was a vanity table of grooming materials. In the center of the north wall was her four-poster bed, with a pink canopy over it. She smiled in admiration of the femininity and neatness of her room.

For some reason, right after looking around, another bedroom popped into her head. She's only been to Wally's room a few times, and only when she _had_ to be in there for some reason that even he didn't approve of, like a science project or a favor from Hoagie to pick something up. As she recalls, it was the same order of furniture except it was like the complete opposite of her room. A quarter of his glass window was broken due to a baseball incident from the past. His walls comprised of posters of action movies, torn wallpaper, and what is apparently the results of him practicing his paintball skills. In one corner, he had a shelf of old action figures (which for some reason, he managed to avoid damaging) and old comic books. He didn't have a single stuffed animal in the room, except for a teddy bear that his little brother often leaves there after playing. All over the hardly-visible floor, there were clothes, sports materials, guitars, drum sticks and other random things. As for his bed, it was a sad little piece of barely-recognizable furniture; the headboard was smashed as a result of him treating his bed like wrestling ring and his blankets and covers had morphed into a big bundle of cloth.

Kuki laughed at the thought of his room and how it was possible for him to live in such an atmosphere. As she thought more about him, she recalled the argument from that afternoon. Suddenly, the lightness that she had just obtained drained out of her and was replaced by the frustration that had victimized her earlier that day.

She thought of Wally and his rude remarks, not to mention that girl that he was feeding his perversions on. It made her give out a long, shaky sight. _Why do I always let him get to me?_ She thought. She hated having those fights with him. Regardless of who wins, she always ends up angry and that only makes their friendship even more awkward than it already is.

The image of Wally appeared in her head. In her mind's eye, she could see him sitting across her boastfully cracking his knuckles, lazily leaning back, sniggering with his wide, devilish grin, his messy blonde hair and his insensitive green eyes.

Kuki dug her fingers into her head and grunted. She wanted to stop her thoughts immediately but they had already switched to what she feared.

Wally's knuckle-cracking was annoying, but it was impressive. His posture was grubby, but cool and relaxed. His sniggering was a sign of incoming offensiveness, but the sound it makes her want to laugh with him. His wide grin was not only devilishly mischievous, it's also devilishly good-looking. His long, messy blonde hair was rebellious, but it was attractive. His green eyes, which Kuki dreaded most of all, were piercingly intense and fiercely charming.

Kuki shifted slightly on her bed, hoping that it would eliminate the discomfort that she just bestowed upon herself. Staring up at the ceiling, she quietly scolded herself for thinking such things. But there was nothing she could do. All her thoughts were undeniable. Wally may be terribly mean, but there's something about him that she just couldn't help but adore. Perhaps it's the boyishness: though at times he tends to be sexist, it was also fair to say that his manly ways make him a gentleman. Perhaps it's the charisma: he was confident and unafraid of being honest. Perhaps it's the energy: his jokes were crude but they really are funny.

Kuki turned to lie on her side. She felt pathetic. As far as everyone can see, she only argues with Wally. What would they say if they found out that she has these thoughts about him? What would they say if they found out that she actually likes it when people say they're compatible? Even more to consider: what would Wally think? He'd laugh at her face. And even if he didn't, he definitely would think she's weird. They could barely get along as friends, let alone become a couple. Kuki's eyes led to the photo beside her table again, noticing the same detail that she did before.

"That's exactly what it is," she told herself, "We're meant to be in different sides…"


	2. The Different Half

**_Author's Note: This is a short chapter. It was supposed to be two parts but I decided to put the second part into the next chapter, or making that a chapter itself. Oh well, whatever. Keep reading. lol._  
**

**Chapter 2: The Different Half**

The two weeks that followed Wally and Kuki's recent fight were surprisingly peaceful. Not a single argument has sprung up between them so far. Of course there were occasional grunts, and the insults were unavoidable, but for some strange reason, the peace persevered. It wasn't until the third weekend, when the whole gang chose to spend the day at Nigel's house, did something happen, that would trigger the longest and most significant feud ever.

It was a bright, Saturday afternoon and for some reason, there was nothing to do. The Cheezaria was closed for renovation, no one felt like going to the beach, and everyone else seemed to have something else to do. Therefore the whole gang sat scattered around Nigel's living room, each absorbed in his or her own activity.

In one corner, Nigel and Hoagie sat playing a game of chess. Abby was sitting in one of the armchairs, reading a magazine. Wally, _not_ being the gentleman that he's supposed to be, was lying across the couch watching TV, while Kuki sat on the floor watching with him.

"Hey, I was watching that!" Kuki said after Wally switched the channel on TV.

"I have the remote," He responded thoughtlessly.

"I'm watching too, you know."

"I don't care."

"So rude…"

"Whatever."

A dull moment of silence passed, with Kuki having to endure the wrestling match on TV. Finally, Nigel stood up after beating Hoagie at another game.

"I'm going to the kitchen to get some snacks," He announced, "Anyone want anything?"

"Corn dog," Hoagie requested first.

"Soda," Abby followed.

"Chips," Wally said next.

"Apple," Kuki said last.

After Nigel disappeared to the kitchen, Kuki found her opportunity to steal the remote back. She knew for a fact that neither Abby nor Hoagie would care if another fight between her and Wally broke out. Besides, it's not like she was intending to start an actual fight. She just wanted the remote back.

She first began by taking a quick glance at Wally, only to locate the remote loosely sheltered in his hand. Next she slowly switched position, facing him slightly. He didn't seem to notice anything. Then, without thinking twice, she charged at him and reached for the remote control.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" He reacted immediately, tightening his grip upon the gadget with both hands.

"I WANT THE REMOTE BACK!" She demanded as she struggled to gain control of her grip.

The two of them wrestled each other for a while, causing the remote to go back and forth between them. It took so much of their attention that neither of them heard the sound of the doorbell, followed by Nigel's voice from the kitchen claiming to answer it.

"LET GO!" Wally demanded. He pulled the remote from Kuki with all his might, hoping to be rid of her grip. Unlike he expected, she held on, and he therefore ended up lifting her off the floor. She landed right on top of him.

Everything happened so fast. Neither Wally nor Kuki noticed the grins on Abby and Hoagie's faces, nor did they notice their own laughter together. They were completely unaware that they were actually having fun…_together_.

The playfulness stopped when Nigel came back into the room. Yet it wasn't his presence that stopped Wally and Kuki, but more like the puzzled look on his face and the news that he bore.

"Kuki," He said.

"Yes?" Kuki looked up, still smiling and unaware that she was still on top of Wally.

"There's someone at the door for you."

"Who is it?"

"He said his name is Wallace."

Cold, hard suspicion suddenly seemed to have blanketed the room. Kuki, who was in wide-eyed shock, felt everyone's eyes on her. Nigel, for one, was obviously puzzled after encountering the stranger who was currently standing out in the hall. Hoagie looked simply curious about the sound of the unfamiliar name. Abby looked betrayed, eyeing Kuki as if accusing her of hiding secrets. The biggest challenge, however, was looking down, only to find the two green eyes looking up at her.

There was something odd about the expression on Wally's face. It was like a mix of everyone's reaction, with his own unidentifiable expression added to it. He looked intensely confused, desperately curious, terribly betrayed, and something else that Kuki could only interpret as…pain.

She got off of him awkwardly. Ignoring everyone's stare, she thanked Nigel and went out into the hallway. There he was, waiting for her: a young lad with the looks of a teenage body-builder. He stood about six feet high, beating Nigel and Hoagie by only a bit, but came across as equivalent to Wally's height. He had bright, blonde and spiky hair and blue eyes that seem incapable of expressing anything but fierce, masculine pride.

"Hey babe," He said to her.

"Wallace…er…hi…" She said awkwardly, "What are you doing he – NO!!"

Wallace had picked her up into a tight, painful bear hug and had leaned in for a kiss but she responded by slapping his face back with both hands.

"Ow!" He barked and dropped her gracelessly, "What'd you do that for?!"

"I'm sorry! You just kind of…caught me off guard there."

"That's what you said the last time. Geez, we've already been dating for a week and we haven't even kissed yet."

"I know but – "

Kuki stopped when she heard someone's footsteps behind her. All of a sudden, she was desperately wishing with every fiber of her body that it's not whom she expected.

"Nice shirt, man." Wallace said to the person behind her, "I watch wrestling too."

Kuki's heart sank. No one in the gang watches wrestling except for one person…

Wally walked towards them. For some reason, every step he took sounded like thunder in Kuki's ears. When he finally appeared in her sight, all she could see was the same pouting face that she's been seeing for the past seven years. The only difference is that those cold, green eyes seem to be avoiding hers. She couldn't understand why, but it hurt more than the many times that he would stare directly at her with his ruthless smirk.

"Kuki never told us about you," Wally said to the man before him, with a harshly steady tone.

"Makes sense," Wallace replied, "She and I just met a week ago."

"That's kinda weird. I always thought she was they type of girl who'd wait."

Kuki stared at Wally, wondering if she'd heard him right. It was a loaded statement. She didn't know if it was just another one of his crude insults as a friend, or a remark of disappointment from being 'something else'.

"Well," Wallace smirked arrogantly, "There must be something special about me."

"Maybe," answered Wally.

He took another minute to eye Wallace, as if scanning his whole being with his eyes alone. After that, he walked away. Kuki could've sworn that he had glanced at her before turning away. And there was no denying that there was something there that she's never noticed before.


	3. The Bigger Man

**_Author's Note: Hehe! I enjoyed writing this chapter. I hope you enjoy reading it. :P_  
**

**Chapter 3: The Bigger Man**

The weeks that followed Wallace's introduction to the group, were as quiet as the ones just before it. The only difference is that there was no longer a feeling of peace. It was more like a heavy, tense feeling.

Although everyone seemed to tolerate Wallace, despite his overwhelmingly boastful attitude, Kuki couldn't help but notice the silence that Wally acquired since her new boyfriend came into the picture.

He's given her cold shoulders before, but those were out of pure ignorance of him as a friend. In the past, he never had a reason to talk to her, so he didn't. This time, however, it seemed like he didn't have a reason. If he did, Kuki couldn't figure it out. Nevertheless, she didn't appreciate having a choice only between his rolling eyes or the back of his head.

His silence stretched on for so long that by the end of the month, Kuki almost couldn't remember his voice. She was only reminded of it whenever she would hear him from a distance, laughing or talking with someone (in fact, it's more like _anyone else_) in the gang. Even in the most joyous occasions, he rarely spoke with her around. The first time in a while that he spoke within ten feet of her was the weekend when they went to the beach.

It was a warm sunny day, and the beach was neither crowded nor empty. It was simply a fine day to relax.

"Hey Wally, look," Hoagie called out, a few feet away from their mat.

Wally looked at him blankly and saw that he had buried himself in the sand.

"The sand's pretty nice and warm," Hoagie tempted him amusingly, "You know you wanna do the same thing."

Wally merely continued to stare at him, neither smiling nor pouting, before he went back to looking straight ahead. In the distance, just were the shoreline began, he had a clear view of Wallace and Kuki running around the water. He was chasing her, splashing her with water, lifting her into his arms, and all the time she looked like she was enjoying it.

"You better get over it."

Wally looked to his side where Abby was in a beach chair sunbathing and, as always, reading a magazine.

"What are you talking about?" He said, sounding more irritated than he did with Hoagie.

"We all know how you feel, Wally," Nigel was also in a beach chair, and he came into view from beyond her when he sat up.

"What are you talking about?" He repeated, still annoyed by everyone's remarks.

"This never would've happened if you weren't such a butt to her all the time," Hoagie said as he shook his way out of the sand, "In fact, if Wallace hadn't come along, Kuki would probably bugging _you_ to help her build a sand castle right now."

Wally looked at everyone around him, all whom were watching his reaction. Everyone was expecting him to throw out another defensive remark, but he didn't. Instead, he gave out a soft but fuming sigh, and continued to stare straight ahead.

"That's it," Nigel stood up and grabbed a football from one of the beach bags.

"What are you doing?" Wally asked.

"We need to distract you. Come on, let's play ball."

"No."

"Come on, Wally," Hoagie urged as he joined Nigel's side, "I'll let you hit me with the ball this time."

"Like it doesn't always hit you?" Abby grinned.

"Ha ha, very funny."

"I'm telling you," Wally declared one last time, "I don't want to play."

He brought his focus back into the distant shoreline, where he saw that Wallace and Kuki were no longer in the water. They were walking up to them.

"Hey guys," Kuki said.

Everyone greeted her back except for Wally.

"You guys should go in, the water feels great," Wallace said before turning to Wally and switching his tone as if talking to a child, "As for you, you can take your time little buddy because Kuki told me that you can't swim."

He broke out into roaring laughter. Even though Wally wasn't directly look at Kuki, he could tell that her eyes were wide and her cheeks were red in embarrassment.

"I can swim now," He said to Wallace in a fierce, steady voice.

"That's actually true," Kuki added, trying to get Wallace to stop laughing, "I almost drowned in his pool once and he ended up being the one who saved me."

"Oh well," Wallace said, wiping a jolly tear from his eye, "It's still funny. Anyway, let's go back into the water."

"Actually, I'm kinda tired. I think I'll sit here for a while."

"Oh come on, babe. Don't be boring!"

"I'm not. I just want to sit here for a while and maybe build a sandcastle or something."

"That is so lame. Come on, let's go."

"Wallace, no!"

Wallace spent the next minute trying to pull her towards the shore, which she struggled against. At one point, everyone was telling him off.

"Don't force her!" Nigel snapped.

"Get you hands off her!" Abby demanded.

"Dude, let go of her!" Hoagie ordered.

He didn't listen to them. Only one bellowing voice stopped him.

"WALLACE!"

Everyone turned to look at Wally. For a second, Kuki panicked as she saw the fury on his face. He looked as if he was about to attack Wallace. To her surprise, his fuming calmed down a bit and he took the football from Nigel's hands.

"Let's play ball…" He said, his calm tone badly suppressing his temper.

"Alright man, that's what I'm talking about!" Wallace said, letting go of Kuki, "I'll talk to ya later, babe."

He gave her a peck on the cheek before running out to the distance. As he did, she turned to all of them and smiled, trying to hide her terrible embarrassment.

"I think I'll go get a drink," She said before walking away to the food stand.

In the distance, Wallace's voice reached them again.

"COME ON, WALLY! WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? HIT ME!"

Wally narrowed his eyes angrily at the figure in the distance. Digging his fingers firmly onto the ball, he held it back behind his head, and then gave it a strong powerful thrust to Wallace's direction. Even as the ball flew through the air, Nigel, Abby and Hoagie could see all the strength that Wally had put into it. And having witnessed his athletic abilities before, all of them were sure that Wallace would fail to catch it. Unfortunately, he caught it perfectly, but there was no doubt that they all saw the pain on his face when the ball hit his hands and stomach. It was his first sign of physical weakness since they first met him.

"I guess we gotta go play," Nigel said.

"Yeah, we do," Hoagie replied.

Both had grins on their face as they walked towards a pain-struck Wallace. As for Wally, he stood on the same spot, feeling unsatisfied with his work. Abby laughed right next to him.

"Don't worry," She said, "Your muscles are still bigger than his. Even Kuki could see it."

Wally looked at her curiously, but by then she was already walking towards the food stands where Kuki was. That's when he saw that from there, Kuki apparently had been watching. She had a smile on her face. For whatever reason she had, he could only hope the he was thinking the same thing.

He turned around to walk towards the guys, feeling confident and ready to play ball. For the first time in weeks, his lips curled into his signature smirk. There was no denying that Abby's words were exactly what he wanted to hear, and that Kuki's smile was exactly what he wanted to see.


	4. The Unpleasant Surprise

**_Author's Note: Alright, I have TWO messages - One, sorry for the HUGE delay, it's been a busy week. At least it's not writer's block, right? Hehe. Two, I posted this chapter TWICE. The first one was incomplete, this one is complete. So if you've read this chapter before, read it again because you might have missed some parts. I'll also post a message on the next chapter for those who might have missed this complete version. Anyway, enjoy:)_  
**

**Chapter 4: Unpleasant Surprise**

Kuki's lilac eyes dazed ahead, staring mindlessly at the moving lips in front of her. None of the words coming from Wallace's mouth were registering to her. It was just another one of his stories about one of his athletic victories.

It was the fourth week of their relationship. It has officially been a month. For some reason, after all this time, Kuki has felt nothing special. Thinking more about it, there was nothing special about it from the beginning. She doesn't even know why she agreed to go out with him so quickly. Perhaps it was his looks. It wasn't hard to see that Wallace was attractive, even though it was in that stubborn, boyish way. Perhaps it was an impulse. She must've been feeling spontaneous at the time and thought that it might be worth taking the risk. Either way, it wasn't intentional.

"Did you hear me?" Wallace said.

"Huh?" Kuki shook her head, bringing her attention back to him, "Oh. I'm sorry. No. What did you say again?"

"I said my Dad's really proud. He's got another trophy to put on the shelf. He keeps telling everybody that I'm probably gonna be a sports star someday."

"That's great…"

Wallace paused for a minute before continuing. "You know," he said, "We're practically perfect for each other. It's like I'm the football player, and you're my cheerleader."

Kuki raised an eyebrow. "Your cheerleader?"

"Yeah. That's what girls do in games. They cheer for the guys."

"Girls play sports too, you know."

"Yeah, but only the easy ones. You don't see a girl playing a game like football. She'll probably be afraid to break a nail or something."

Kuki grimaced at his conceited smile. As she stared at him gravely, with her annoyance devouring her within, she couldn't help but focus on the features on his face, and hope intensely that his blue eyes turn green, and his blonde spiky hair to release itself onto his forehead. Only one person that she knew matched that image, and she refused to let him into her mind again.

"I'm hungry," Wallace said as he stood up, "Let's go get something to eat."

"Okay. I know this great Japanese place downtown."

"No, I don't want any of that garbage. Let's go it at the Bully Bar."

"That place again? We eat there all the time and all they ever serve are burgers."

"It's better than the crappy restaurants you recommend all the time."

Kuki fumed silently. It was quite an ironic celebration of their 30th day as a couple because all she could think of was ripping off one of Wallace's own brawny arms and smacking him with it.

"Fine," She said wearily, not wanting to face another argument.

•••

The walk towards the Bully Bar was as typical as any other moment with Wallace. All Kuki heard from him were stories about touchdowns, goals and tackles. None of which she bore the slightest interest. In fact, if only he didn't have such a strong grip, her hand would have slipped from his a long time ago, and she would have instantly disappeared from him.

Kuki was continuously in a daze as they walked. It wasn't until they got around the corner of the street did they encountered someone that completely lit her up.

"Wally!" Kuki squealed with a mix of shock and excitement.

There he was standing on the side of the pavement as if he had been waiting. He looked bored and frustrated.

"Hey man!" Wallace burst out and punched his arm, "We need to play ball again soon. You won by chance last time. I want a rematch. I'm gonna beat you for sure this time."

Wally didn't respond, but merely looked through the glass windows of the store facing them. When he looked back at them, Kuki could sense a slight discomfort in him.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, after realizing that they were standing in front of her favorite clothing store.

"Nothing," He said uneasily, "What are you two up to?"

"We're just on our way to the Bully Bar to grab a bite."

"Oh. Well you should keep moving because they usually close early on Sundays."

Kuki was puzzled. For the past four weeks, Wally had been incredibly crude to her and Wallace. Not once had he respected their status as a couple. Now, to hear him encouraging them to walk away and be alone together, was quite unusual, and not to mention disappointing.

"Why don't you join us?" She asked him, desperately hoping to hold on to his presence.

Before Wally could answer her, a shrill and deafening voice suddenly screeched at them, calling his name. They all looked towards the entrance of the store where a short girl with long, red curly hair stood with fists planted on her sides. She was looking at Wally with a bitter frown.

"I told you to wait for me!" She said, her voice toning down to a squeaky quality.

"I'm not gonna stay in there and walk around with your shopping basket," Wally replied irritably.

The girl's cheeks turned red with aggravation and she made a sound similar to a puppy growling. When her eyes redirected to Wallace and Kuki, her expression completely changed into a happy one.

"Oh my gosh, I love the Rainbow Monkeys too!" She squealed in reference to Kuki's bag.

Kuki would've smiled back, but the shock and curiosity on her face was too hard to dominate. She watched the girl hop towards them, ultimately landing next to Wally and twisting her arm around his.

"You haven't introduced me to them!" She demanded in an ironically cute way.

Wally's face looked as blank as usual to everyone. Only Kuki sensed his annoyance.

"Well?" The girl prompted as she started tapping her foot.

"This is Kuki, she's a friend of mine," Wally started grimly, "That 's Wallace, her boyfriend."

The girl exchanged acquaintances with them before allowing Wally to continue. This time, it was her turn to be introduced.

"This is Kathy," He paused to take his eyes off Kuki, "She's my girlfriend."

Kuki's whole body went numb. Her face became rid of blood, making her quite pale even despite her own ivory skin tone. As her eyes widened and locked against the girl before her, a large awkward smile curled upon her lips.

"Oh…" She uttered through her trembling jaw, "Wally never said he was dating anyone."

"YOU DIDN'T?!" Kathy said bitterly to Wally. He looked at her uncomfortably, but evidently not due to her disappointment.

"Didn't you guys say you were on your way somewhere?" He asked Wallace and Kuki.

"Right," Wallace said, "I'm starving! Let's go, babe."

He tugged on Kuki's arm but she seemed rooted to the spot. At the same time, her eyes were stuck on Wally. Apparently, for the first time since he's me Wallace, he was finally able to look at him for longer than a minute.

"You guys are going out to eat?" Kathy asked them.

"Yeah," Wallace replied, still tugging on Kuki.

"May we join you?"

Wally and Kuki both looked like they had been crushed under a landslide. They found themselves looking at each other, as if seeking proof that they were indeed in reality.

"Sure," Wallace said to Kathy, "Let's get moving."

•••

Being in that table was a nightmare to Wally and Kuki. They spent half the time either avoiding each other's eyes or fending off their partners, whether it was Kathy poking Wally's side or Wallace trying to steal a kiss from Kuki. Fortunately, however, neither of their partners took notice of the tension.

"See, I was focusing on my soccer skills at that time because I had a game that weekend," Wallace said during the meal, "I'm not saying I'm weak in football. I'm just saying that my focus shifts from one sport to another. That's why I was a little rusty while playing at that time."

"Wallace," Wally said irritably, "I really don't care how well you explain it. The point is, you lost. Get over it."

Kuki smiled upon hearing his words, remorselessly amused to witness Wallace's ego being crushed. But upon seeing the fury on his face, she chose that time to change the subject immediately.

"So," She said to the couple across the table, "How did you two meet?"

"Oh it's such a cute story!" Kathy shook giddily, "I was at the toy store a few days ago, about to pick up the latest Princess Edition of Rainbow Monkeys, and Wally was there!"

"Dude, what were you doing there?" Wallace said tauntingly.

"Oh it's so cute!" Kathy answered for him, "He was buying a Westley the Wrestler teddy bear for little brother!"

Kuki looked at Wally and smiled, he returned it with a blank stare.

When the meal was almost over, Kuki found herself left with a half eaten plate of salad. Not wanting to waste the food, she turned to Wallace.

"Wallace, do you want some?" She asked.

"Heck no! Salads are for sissies."

"It's still a healthy dish!"

"It has no protein in it, though. No wonder you're so skinny. You can't even throw a football past two feet."

Wally rolled his eyes upon hearing this but Kuki didn't notice. She was too busy scowling at Wallace. When she turned to Wally, their eyes met with an instant connection. Wally's always the one who finishes her meal whenever she can't finish it. It didn't even matter whether it was a salad or not. He was always hungry enough to help her.

Just as Kuki was about to offer him the remains of her unfinished meal, she was suddenly interrupted.

"Here you go, sweetie!" Kathy leaned towards him, holding up a fork of Brussels sprout.

Kuki tucked her lips in at the sight of it. Wally hates Brussels Sprouths… She almost felt embarrassed for him as he merely stared back at Kathy as if waiting for her to simply withdraw. As Kuki expected, she didn't. Instead, she persisted.

"Eat it!" She growled at him.

Wally's looked like he was to the point of raging out on her. But to Kuki's surprise, he simply parted her lips, allowing Kathy to push the vegetable in.

"Awwww!" She squealed and hugged him, "You're so cute!"

After Kathy let go of him, Kuki alone saw Wally spit the Brussels sprout onto his hand and throw it under the table. When he looked back at her, she smiled at him, reassuring that she won't tell anyone.


	5. Friendship

**Author's Note: Well, still busy. But I'm doing my best to keep this up. Anyway, I absolutely ADORE this chapter so I hope you will too. Enjoy:)  
**

**Chapter 6: Friendship**

When lunch was finally over, the two couples found themselves standing in front of the restaurant getting ready to bid their farewells. However, there was a bit of surprise in this process.

"Alright, babe," Wallace announced, wrapping an arm around Kuki's waist, "I gotta go."

"Where?" She asked, even though she really didn't mind him leaving.

"I have a game with the guys."

"I thought you said we were going to the movies today?"

"Right, but we've been spending a lot of time lately and I want some time off. I haven't seen my friends for a while."

Kuki sighed, not because of the fact that he was leaving her, but because she was being abandoned in front of Wally and his new girlfriend. "Fine," She said ultimately.

"Alright!" Wallace exclaimed, "I'll see you later."

As she watched him dash away, she tried her hardest to avoid letting the humiliation get to her. She refused to look pathetic, especially in front of the couple beside her. But as soon as she turned to them, she found Wally in the same awkward situation.

"Go with me to the mall, huggy-buggy!" Kathy demanded in an ironically fun-loving tone.

"Why?"

"What do you mean why? I want you to go!"

"Why don't you just go yourself?"

"Because you're my boyfriend and I want you to go with me!"

Wally's eyebrows puckered together, forming a face that that Kuki could always interpret as him wanting to throw something at someone. Despite his glare, Katie didn't show any sign of fear. It was either she had extreme courage, or she was simply clueless about the shortness of his patience. Either way, she had no problem putting on a big, bitter pout on her face and placing her fists on her sides.

"I'm not going to sit around in a room full of yapping girls, watching someone color your nails," He said through his grinding teeth.

Kathy looked murderous, but she didn't say anything. Instead, she whipped herself around and marched away.

When she disappeared along the crowd of passerby, Wally merely tucked his hands in his pockets and walked away.

"Isn't she going to be mad?" Kuki asked as she followed him.

"She'll get over it."

They were silent for a few minutes as they walked. Only the sound of their shoes scratching upon the pavement could be heard.

"You know," She started again, "You don't treat her like a girlfriend."

"Who?"

"Kathy, you silly."

"Oh...right."

"You treat her like she's an annoying little sister."

"She _is_ annoying."

She didn't say anything. It was quite puzzling to hear him say it so honestly, even though it was quite a logical statement for his part.

"In fact," He continued, "I'd die of frustration if she was my sister."

"That's not a nice thing to say about someone you're dating."

"What do you expect?"

"I don't know..."

She really didn't know. Did she really want to advice him to act affectionately towards another girl?

"I guess it would be nice if you compliment her," She said grudgingly, "Maybe even cuddle her..."

He was silent for a minute before he spoke again. "How do you expect me to do that when your own boyfriend won't even do it for you?"

Neither of them spoke after that. As she watched his facial expression, she found herself unable to interpret it once again. He really was quite good at masking his feelings.

"Have you even kissed him yet?" He asked her suddenly.

She was caught off-guard by his question. But she found no answer in his eyes for he was looking straight ahead.

"No..." She answered pathetically.

"For four weeks?"

He sounded insulting, but she had no excuse to deny his right to it.

"I don't know why..." She said, "But there's never a right time. I can't say he doesn't try though, because he really does...a lot..."

There was snapping sound. When she looked at him again, she saw that he had twisted and cracked his own neck for his relief. That was another one of his habits, except she knew that he usually does it when he's aggravated.

"What about you?" She asked since she has earned the right, "Have you kissed Kathy yet?"

"I would if only she stops bubbling in the mouth like an angry mutt."

"That's not nice!"

He just laughed. That was the first time she's seen him laugh in four weeks.

When his laughter had dissolved back into silence, it seemed like there was nothing else to say. She wanted to keep talking but she was afraid of saying anything stupid. Obviously she had lost the right to advice him on his relationship. She didn't want to admit the faults of her own either. It was a perfect time to change the subject.

"That was a nice story Kathy told."

"What story?"

"The one about how you met, when you were buying Westley the Wrestler for Joey."

He was still looking straight ahead, but she could tell that he felt a bit embarrassed.

"I had to take your advice..." He admitted after a while, "You always know what toys Joey is into. And he likes you. He thinks you're like his sister."

The conversation ended there. There were no more words that could be uttered from Kuki's smiling lips.

•••

They didn't talk again until they found themselves standing before the town park. That was where they were supposed to part. It was another one of their opposite traits. She lived in Gallagher Heights, the upscale suburbs in the East side of town. He lived in Warburton Village, the urban neighborhood on the West side of town.

As they stood there at the edge of the park, neither of them realized that they were delaying their departure. They stood there for a long time, not taking a single step away from each other.

"Are you going home?" He asked her quietly.

She paused for a minute to think about it. She felt obligated to say "yes", just because it was what she would normally say to him whenever they were there. At the same time, she _wanted_ to say "no". She liked being with him. It's not everyday that they get to be alone together.

"No," She said bravely, "I have nothing to do today. I think I'm just going to hang out here for a bit."

"Alone…?"

"I guess…"

He didn't say anything. He just stood there quietly, staring out at the playgrounds and the yards of trees and open fields. She stared at him quietly, curious about what he was thinking.

"I think I'll stay too," he said, "I have nothing to do either."

They walked around for a while, following the stone paths that led them all over the park. Along they way, they found many places that have been embedded in their childhood memories. There was the playground where the whole gang used to spend their Sundays, the picnic site where a number of food fights have taken place, and the lake where they used to swim and race each other on floats. When they both felt tired of walking, they sat in one of the benches by the open field. Again, there was only silence. Like always, they had nothing to talk about.

Just when Kuki was desperate enough to start a conversation about Hoagie's latest airplane blueprints, a topic which both of them found no interest, Wally broke the silence.

"What do you see in Wallace?" He said suddenly.

She stared at him curiously. He's been asking such random questions all day.

"Well?" He prompted.

"Um, I guess it's..."

She tried to finish her sentence but she couldn't. What _does_ she see in him? Next to her, she heard Wally sigh.

"Look," He said in a low tone, "you're probably not going to take me seriously..."

Her heartbeat increased speed. She didn't know what to expect but she had a hunch that it was going to be really important.

"But your boyfriend is a jerk."

Her heart slowed down and sank. "Oh..." She responded thoughtlessly, "Why do you say that?"

"He's a total pain in the neck!" He complained, "I look like a saint next to him."

"He's not as bad as he seems."

"Oh really?"

"Yes."

He looked annoyed. She can tell that he wanted to argue more but he was obviously out of words. He never was good with verbal defense, at least when it comes to things he really couldn't enforce. Therefore, she was surprised when he stopped struggling inwardly for a comeback, and instead stood up and approached a nearby drinking fountain. He gathered some water in his hands and bent forward to pour it on his head. When he turned back to her, she broke into laughter for she saw that he had spiked his hair.

"Dude, like, I totally rule," He said with a mocking imitation of Wallace's voice, "Like, I'm gonna be, like, a total sports star someday and, like, I don't even care if people, like, start throwing chairs at me 'cause, like, I totally rule."

"That's not funny!" Kuki roared at him.

"Then why are you laughing?"

"Because you sound just like him!"

"Exactly, see what you got yourself into?"

"Well, you're girl isn't so charming herself, mister!"

She stood up and planted her fists on her sides, and put on a bitter pout on her face. Then, with the best of her efforts, she attempted a screeching "WALLABEE BEATLES! YOU BETTER GET ME SOME FLOWERS, MISTER! OR ELSE I'M GOING TO HUG YOU AND SQUEEZE YOU UNTIL YOU'RE COMPLETELY OUT OF BREATH!"

"Don't do that!" He bellowed at her in horror, "That's not funny! You really do sound like her!"

She laughed so hard that she almost fell to the ground. He was lalughing just as much.

"Alright, joke time is over," She said, trying to calm down, "Put your hair back down."

"No," He said stubbornly, "I think I'm going to keep it."

"No! You look like Wallace!"

"Then I should be appealing to you right now, shouldn't I?"

"Put your hair down!"

"No!"

She ran to him and tried to ruffle his hair back into its original state, but he blocked all her attempts. They wrestled and laughed until they both fell down. That was when the laughter faded, when they realized that they intertwined on the ground.

He cleared his throat awkwardly as he prompted her to move away. She took the cue obediently. When they were at least four feet apart, they went back to a normal conversation.

"Anyway," He said, "That's just what I'm trying to say. You should think twice about him. I know he's just trying to be funny but he also needs to learn how to act right with women."

She smiled, charmed to hear him speak so kindly. "I'll think about it," She said.

He wasn't smiling. But the look on his face wasn't as stern as usual. In fact, it looked quite sweet and satisfied. When he noticed that she was staring at him, he looked away again and began to watch the group of kids lingering nearby.

"Wait here," He said to her before standing up and approaching them. He came back after just a few minutes with a football in his hands.

"What's that for?" She asked him.

"They said they're resting for now. They lent me the ball for a couple of minutes."

"What are you gonna do with it?"

"Play ball. Duh."

"With who?"

"You."

"Me?" She said incredulously.

"Don't worry. It's not like I'm gonna tackle you. Let's just throw it back and forth."

"But I can't play football! I can't even throw it past two feet!"

"That's what Wallace said..."

She sighed. He was right.

"Come on, I'll teach you how to throw it. You know, just to surprise him. Let's see if he'll still be laughing at you when he's on the ground aching from your throw."

She stared at him for a while, still surprised by his sudden offer. But seeing the enthusiasm on his face, she just couldn't turn him down. She stood up and approached him.

"Okay, turn around," He said.

She did as he told. He stood right behind her and sheltered her sides with his arms as he put the ball into her hands. Fortunately, he didn't hear or feel her violent heartbeat despite being so close.

"Okay, line your fingers with the stitches on the sides, with the tip of your index finger pointing towards the tip."

"Like this?"

"Right, now tighten your grip on the ball."

He guided her hands along with his instructions, tightening his arms upon her sides even more. She blushed. After that, he called out to one of the kids near by and asked them to anticipate the ball.

"Alright," he said backing away a bit, "Keep your hand the way it is, thrust the ball into the air, and release as smoothly but strongly as possible."

"Okay."

She took a deep breath and eyed the kid who stood a few feet away. Then she hurled the ball towards him. He caught it easily. Embarrassed, she turned back to Wally and awaited his judgment.

"Not bad for a first try," he said.

He really looked satisfied. She couldn't recall the last time he had complimented her, if there had been any at all. It didn't matter though. There was only one thing she could tell him.

"I think you need to teach me again."


	6. One Down, One more to Go

**Author's Note: I'll update ASAP! This chapter doesn't have much in it because it's only a transition to the next event. I only posted it because it was getting too long. Don't worry, I'm already working on the next chapter so it'll be up soon. Enjoy!  
**

**Chapter 7: One Down, Another to Go**

"WHAT?!"

People from surrounding tables turned towards Wallace and Kuki.

"Wallace, your making a scene…"

"Let me get this straight," He said, fuming, "You're breaking up with me?"

"I know it's out of the blue, and I'm sorry. But for the past six weeks I realized that you and I are just too…different."

It wasn't hard to find the word for it. In fact, she had more than enough words to throw at him, more than enough to describe how aggravating their relationship had been to her.

"This is unbelievable! I've never been dumped before!"

"We can still be friends."

"Forget it! I'm not taking this bull-crap!"

Wallace stood up and stormed out of the restaurant, leaving Kuki behind in the center of the attention. Somehow, despite all the strangers watching her, she felt nothing. No humiliation. Not even regret.

Less than an hour later, she was walking through the side of Nigel's house, leading herself to the clubhouse in the backyard. Even after all these years, she and her friends never grew out of hanging out in their favorite childhood spot. The place has evolved of course, just as much as its owners did.

Her heart sank as soon as she walked through the door and saw the back of two heads poking over the arch of the couch: One with messy blonde hair and the other with a mane of red curls, huddled close together and focused on the TV in front of them. Although it's only been two weeks, Wally had grown surprisingly tolerant of Kathy. No longer did he push her away or insult her, but in fact, he endured her feminine antics with no complaint. His lack of patience still showed on his face whenever she'd pout at him, but nonetheless, he lasted with her.

Kuki walked towards the poker table at the side of the clubhouse, where Hoagie was playing a game of solitaire. When she sat down, she saw Wally looking at her. He had his arm around Kathy. Trying hard to edit that detail out of her mind, Kuki simply waved at him. He retuned her greeting with a nod, before turning back to the TV.

She stared at him for a few moments longer. He looked uncomfortable after realizing that she had arrived. He also moved the arm that he had around Kathy impatiently, as if he was contemplating whether to pull it back or not. Kuki dismissed her theory about his intentions. She'd rather not fantasize about it when he obviously had another girl leaning on his side. So she turned back to Hoagie and saw that he had finished his game.

"Hi," She said.

"Hey," He mumbled back as he gathered the cards together.

"Where's Abby and Nigel?" It really didn't matter, she thought. She could care less about the whereabouts of her friends. She only wanted a distraction.

"Nigel's got a doctor's appointment."

"And Abby?"

"Abby is…trying to avoid frustrations." He nodded towards Kathy.

Kuki shook her head, smiling slightly. Ever since Kathy came along, Abby had promoted herself as the epitome of Kuki's jealousy. Although Kathy had received enough courtesy from her despite annoying her more than anyone else, Wally got nothing but harsh treatments from her. For the past week, he endured nothing but dirty looks, constant nagging, and sometimes even the cold shoulder. That very moment was an example.

"So how are things going with you?"

Kuki watched Hoagie as he continued to organize the game cards. Seeing that he was distracted at the moment, she knew that the questions ahead of her were out of absent-mindedness. "I'm fine…"

"How's Wallace?"

"He's alright… We had lunch today."

"How was it?"

She paused for a moment, still watching him, and contemplated if it was the right time to break the news. "I broke up with him."

He dropped the stack of cards that he had just organized. Her statement obviously obtained all his focus. She nodded at him to confirm that he had heard right.

"Oh…" He said, glancing shortly at Wally, who hadn't noticed a thing, then looking back at her, "What happened…?"

"I just don't think he's right for me," She said, "He's a little too aggressive."

Hoagie looked like he was torn between sympathizing with her and rejoicing.

"I'm okay," She assured him, "We never got serious."

He sighed with relief. "That's good. To tell you honestly, I'm a little glad that you two didn't last. No offense."

"None taken. But…why do you say that?"

"You may call Wallace aggressive but if I were to describe him, I'd rather use the word…"

"Yes?"

"Boastful, arrogant, annoying, loud, competitive, sore loser… And to sum it all up, you were dating a total jackass."

He looked like he just took his first breathe after a long period of suffocation. Kuki laughed.

"Besides," He continued, "I don't know how much tenser it could have gotten between-"

He stopped abruptly. Apparently, he was under the impression that he was thinking silently and didn't realize that Kuki could hear him. That was an unfortunate habit of his.

"Between who?" She prompted for him to finish.

"No one. It's nothing. Forget that."

"No, tell me."

He looked skeptical, but easily gave in. He nodded towards the couch again, but this time, Kuki knew that he was referring to Wally.

"We hall had something against Wallace," He said, "But Wally disliked him the most. He practically _loathed_ him."

Even though Kuki knew why this was so, she wondered if she could get more details out of Hoagie. She continued to ask. "Why is that?"

He still looked hesitant, but continued anyway. "For one thing, Wallace is competitive like hell. And even though Wally's obviously better than him at anything, I guess he didn't think that was enough."

Kuki sighed. That wasn't the answer she was hoping for.

"And aside from that…"

She looked up at him, hopeful once again.

"…He didn't trust him."

"What do you mean?"

Hoagie looked down; a gesture he usually does whenever he lies or tells half-truths.

"I don't know…" He said, "I guess he just thought Wallace wasn't right for you. Maybe he thinks you deserve better."

Before Kuki could ask any more questions, Hoagie bent down to pick up the cards that had fallen to the floor. At the same time, the door opened and Abby came in. She looked nauseated as soon as she saw Wally and Kathy on the couch and immediately joined Hoagie and Kuki at the poker table. Kuki noticed Wally look at her, but it seems that he gave up on greeting her before he could receive another cold shoulder from her.

"What's going on?" She said to the two of them.

"Oh nothing," Hoagie said, "Kuki and I were just having a little chat."

"About what?"

Hoagie didn't speak, handing Kuki the opportunity to answer. She didn't mind.

"Wallace and I broke up."

Unlike Hoagie, who previously took a moment to consider his reaction, Abby shamelessly gasped with rejoice.

"Thank GOD!" She exclaimed.

"I guess you're not sad about it either," Kuki laughed softly.

"Heck no I'm not! I'm glad you dumped that arrogant snot. He was so annoying."

Hoagie laughed and Kuki smiled. Somehow, she didn't feel upset about her remarks. She was no longer in a place to disagree after all.

"I'm glad you're done with him," Abby continued, "Now we just gotta get rid of the other brat around here."

Just as Kuki was about to ask who she was referring to, a shrill voice filled the room.

"Wally, put it back on Rainbow Monkeys!"

They all turned to the couch. Kathy had that bitter pout on her face again and she was victimizing Wally with it.

"Wrestling is on," He said blankly.

"But it's the episode where Prince Rainbow Monkey rescues Princess Rainbow Monkey from the Dungeon of Curses!"

"You've seen that episode many times…"

"WALLY!!!"

She repeated his name for a number of times, each with the same pain-staking shrilly voice. It only took her less than a minute to get him to switch the channel back, and Abby storming out of the clubhouse dragging Kuki with her.

•••

"Where are we going?" Kuki asked as she tried to keep up with Abby. They were walking through the neighborhood, towards downtown.

"I don't know!" She said in frustration, "Anywhere except the clubhouse!"

"But we always hang out at the clubhouse."

"I'm not going in there as long as Kathy's in there! She's too much! I can't stand it!"

Kuki was silent for a while. This gave Abby time to slow down her pace and calm herself down.

"She's not that bad…" Kuki mumbled.

"What are you talking about? She's a total brat."

"Well, there must be _something_ nice about her. Otherwise Wally wouldn't be dating her."

"Oh please, he just thinks he needs her. He doesn't even know that he's only dating her because he lost hope after y-"

She stopped, very much in the same way that Hoagie had stopped in the middle of his sentence earlier.

"Anyway," She continued, "It doesn't matter. He's dating her. And seeing as how he could actually bring himself to hug her now, I doubt that we'd stop hearing her shrills any time soon…"

There was silence for a moment as they walked. Kuki couldn't guess what Abby was thinking, but she had thoughts of her own.

"Do you think it would matter to him if he found out?" She asked.

"Found out about what?"

"Me and Wallace…"

Abby didn't say anything for a moment. She didn't even look at her.

"Maybe," She said blankly, "It's Wally. Who knows what he could be thinking?"


	7. The Birth of a Distraction

**Author's Note: Sorry guys. I endured some mighty Writer's Block again. Therefore, the previous chapter, this one, and the one after this, are all just fragments of one event. On the bright side, however, I still have this story going so at least there's progress. Anyway, this chapter isn't very long but it's a significant event (more significant than you might realize. lol.) So...ENJOY:)  
**

**Chapter 8: The Birth of a Distraction  
**

They ended up at the toy store. After going to the movies, having lunch at the Cheezaria, and spending hours at the arcade and the park, Abby and Kuki had run out of interesting things to do or places to go. Eventually, they only had a choice between spending the rest of their Saturday at home or enduring Kathy's shrills at the clubhouse. In the end, they just decided to go to the toy store. They were desperate. Besides, Kuki wanted to buy the latest edition of Rainbow Monkeys anyway.

She ventured into the store alone because Abby chose to wait out front. When she got to the designated aisle, to that particular shelf, she saw that only one box of the Rainbow Monkey was left. She reached for it, and gasped when she found her fingers upon another hand.

"Oh!" She said to the boy reaching for the same thing, "I'm sorry."

"No, I'm sorry," He said, "You had it first."

"No, really, you take it."

"Please, I don't mind. Ladies first."

She stopped for a second and thought about it. _Ladies_ first. She looked up to the ceiling and saw RAINBOW MONKEYS, printed in big, bold letters, on a sign that hung from the ceiling. She looked to her left and right and found nothing but shelves filled with Rainbow Monkey merchandise. Yet, as she turned back to the person before her, she saw a _boy_. He had long brown hair, a little bit darker than Hoagie's, that draped down the sides of his head, down to his ears, and green eyes that glimmered through rectangular, black-rimmed glasses.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

"Um…yeah," She replied, blinking a bit, "It's just that…you're a boy."

"And…?"

"Well…I usually…I mean…I practically _never_ see a boy here, in this section. Not even a kid."

He smiled sweetly like he understood her curiosity well.

"I know what you mean. People always tell me it's strange that I go here."

Kuki blushed, feeling embarrassed for pointing it out so disgracefully. She tried to make up for it.

"Anyway, you should have it," She said, "The person you're giving it to would probably want it more than I do if she could make you come up here."

He smiled again.

"I'm not giving it to anyone. It's for me. I love Rainbow Monkeys."

At this point, Kuki's mind was in a whirlwind, and it showed completely on her face. The boy laughed.

"Come on, I'll take you to the counter," He said, "You deserve it more than I do."

He reached up and got the box for her. Kuki stared at it as it rested on his hands then looked at him again.

"Thank you. That's really nice of you…um…?"

"Walter."

"Right. Walter. I'm Kuki."

"Kuki…" he repeated, "That's a pretty name."

She blushed and whispered shyly, "Thank you."

•••

They spent the whole day together. After exiting the toy store, Kuki had invited Walter to come along with her and Abby after he mentioned that he had nothing else to do that day. He agreed with no hesitation. Less than an hour later, Abby randomly decided to go home, leaving them alone together. As she left, Kuki noticed that she looked terribly bothered by Walter, very much in the same way that she looked around Kathy. But Kuki ignored it. For now, she wanted to get to know this Walter.

"How long have you been into Rainbow Monkeys?" She asked him.

They were sitting at a coffee shop in mid-afternoon.

"I'm not sure," He said, "I think I was about fourteen."

She stared at him again, just as much as she had been staring all day. He seemed well aware of her curiosity for he welcomed it with his gentle eyes and subtle smile.

"I'm sorry…" She said to him, "You must think I'm judgmental."

"You're really not. I've heard worse."

"It's just so unusual… I've never met a guy who likes Rainbow Monkeys. Every guy I know doesn't like it. Some even hate it."

She thought of Wally for a second. That's the first time she's thought of him since she left the toy store.

"Don't get me wrong. I'm not as crazy about Rainbow Monkeys as girls are," Walter said, "But I _do_ like them. I think it's because of my family. I have two little sisters and an older sister and they like it too. Because of that, I'm kind of in touch with my feminine side."

Kuki laughed. The only time she could recall hearing that from a guy was when Hoagie once said it, and he was joking at the time.

"I guess that's why I never hated Rainbow Monkeys," He continued, "I was surrounded by them my whole life. Even my mom likes it."

"What about your dad? Doesn't it make him uncomfortable?"

His smile grew wilder.

"My Dad is the music producer for the Rainbow Monkey soundtrack."

"NO!"

"Yes."

"You're joking!"

"I'm not."

Kuki felt as if her heart was going to burst out of her chest with excitement.

"That's so amazing!" She exclaimed, "I have all the CDs!"

"I do too, of course."

They both laughed. When things calmed down, they found themselves smiling at each other. She became puzzled when he slightly leaned forwards and stared at her intently.

"What is it…?" She asked, leaning back a bit.

"Your eyes…" He said, "It's such unusual color of blue… It's almost like it's...lilac."

"Oh. My friend told me that too," She thought of Wally and frowned, "Except he said it differently: 'Your eyes are cruddy weird. Are you even human?'"

Walter smiled sweetly.

"I think they look pretty."

•••

Kuki stood behind a tree, her heart beating at a rapid pace. The few minutes she had spent there already felt like an eternity. When she finally gathered up all her courage, she leaned over to the side and looked throughout the town park. Across the field in one of the benches lined up on the side of the gardens, a couple sat alone together.

Wally and Kathy were close enough to be recognized, but not far enough to prevent Kuki from extracting even a faint feeling of jealousy from the very sight of them. Kathy was cuddled up against Wally, like a cat begging for attention. And as much as Kuki dreaded the sight of it, he evidently gave her that attention.

One hand, he used to hold her close to him. The other hand dangled uselessly over the side of the bench, carrying a number of shopping bags that, Kuki could presume, are Kathy's.

_They look happy._

That was the only thing she could think of. It only took a few more seconds for her to watch before her self-inflicted torment was brought up to another level.

Wally sat up, startling Kathy and causing her to turn to him. He let go of the bags in his hands and held her by the shoulders, prompting her to lean in closer.

Kuki shut her eyes and turned away, once again hiding behind the tree. Despite the tears that were desperately trying to seep through her eyes, she forced her face into a smile.

She thought back to the events from earlier that day, from Abby's crude comments about Kathy, to the sound of Wally's grunts in response to her shrills, and even to the image of Walter smiling at her. The bliss it all brought her measured up to only a fraction of the pain she felt. Once again, she forced her face into a smile.

_At least he's happy… _She thought. _I'm his friend. I should be happy for him…_

She took a deep breath and wiped the tears from her eyes. Then, with the best of her efforts, she carried on her walk home without looking at Wally and Kathy once more.


	8. A Missed Opportunity

**Author's Note: LOL! I'm so excited that I didn't really go over this! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did writing it, despite the errors that I might have missed. ENJOY:)  
**

**Chapter 8: A Missed Opportunity**

"Already?"

Abby looked so shocked that it almost brought Kuki to shame.

"You've only known him for three days!"

"I know… But he's really nice."

"You think everyone's nice."

"That's not true!"

"You thought Wallace was nice."

Kuki sighed and looked throughout the empty clubhouse. Only she and Abby were there. Her eyes landed upon the couch, where she could visualize Wally and Kathy huddled close together. Her mind instantly went back to that event in the park, when she saw them leaning in to a kiss. Her heart ached a bit.

"You don't need some guy to distract you, Kuki," Abby said.

"That's not what I'm dating Walter for," She said, "I really do like him."

Abby looked skeptical, but it didn't take long before she surrendered from her protest. "I guess I can't stop you," She said, "It's your life. I'm telling you though. This whole thing about him liking Rainbow Monkeys sounds suspicious to me."

Kuki laughed.

The door opened and the three boys came in. The first to walk in was Nigel, who went straight for the poker table to join them. Next came Hoagie, who greeted them but settled on the couch instead and started watching TV. When the last person came in, Kuki couldn't bare to look. Wally didn't say anything when he entered the room. He just went straight to the couch and joined Hoagie.

"Hello ladies," Nigel greeted.

"Hi Nigel."

"Hey. What's up?"

"Oh nothing," he said, "We just got back from the comic book store, that's all."

"You guys are such dorks…" Abby scoffed.

"You know what? We _are_."

Abby and Kuki looked at Nigel like he was insane. As he sat there, peering over his sunglasses, he eyed Abby intently.

"In fact," He said, "Why don't you come with me, Abby. Let's go to Hoagie and he and I will show you why we like comic books so much."

Abby looked puzzled and annoyed, but she didn't say anything.

"Come on, we don't have all day," Nigel said standing up, "NO! Er…you stay here, Kuki."

Kuki sat back down and stared at him suspiciously.

"Why can't I go?"

"Because…you don't mind that we're dorks. Abby needs more help appreciating our tastes than you do."

"I wouldn't mind looking at comic books, though."

"Exactly! That is why you should stay here. You don't need to bother with it. Besides, you just got out of a relationship. You need time alone."

"But Nigel – "

"No buts! Just stay here."

Kuki watched Nigel drag Abby to the other side of the clubhouse. Along the way, he also pulled Hoagie away from the couch. All three of them stood in one corner, whispering and mindlessly flipping through comic books.

Kuki scratched her head in wonder of what just happened. All of a sudden, she saw Wally approaching her.

"Hey," He said as he sat across from her.

"H-hi…" She said awkwardly.

"You okay?"

"I'm fine."

He stared at her for a moment, and glanced back and forth from her to the others in the corner. He looked uneasy.

"Is there something wrong, Wally?"

"Huh? No… Why do you ask?"

"You're shaking a bit."

"Oh. I'm okay. It's nothing."

He rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably. It was a rare gesture for him to do, but Kuki knew what it meant: nervousness.

"Listen," He said.

"Yes?"

"I heard about – "

He stopped abruptly. In fact, _everything_ stopped abruptly, even the fiddling of comic books in the corner. Everyone's attention was brought to the door, where the sound someone knocking echoed throughout the room. Nigel, Abby and Hoagie all looked at Wally and Kuki. They merely looked back. After a few more moments listening to the knocking, Wally finally stood up and answered the door.

As Kuki watched him standing in the doorway, she saw him look left and right and he didn't react to anything. But when he slightly looked down, he began to speak words that she couldn't make out from where she was. Only when the voice of the visitor reached her did she realize who it was.

"Walter!" She exclaimed, standing up.

Walter's head poked through the doorway, just next to Wally's shoulder.

"Oh, hello," he smiled, "Sorry to bother you."

"Not at all, come in."

He entered the room and greeted her with a hug that she gladly returned. At that point, she was so distracted that she didn't see the shock in Wally's face, the very same one he showed when he first heard of Wallace just weeks ago.

"How'd you know I was here?" She asked Walter.

"It was a lucky guess. Besides, you told me about this place."

"So why did you want to see me?"

"No reason. I just wanted to see you. I don't need any other reason, do I?"

She blushed upon hearing his words. He chuckled.

"Besides, I wanted to give you this," He handed her a CD case, "It's a mixed CD of never-before-heard Rainbow Monkey singles."

"Oh that's so nice! Thank you!"

She hugged him again. When she got that chance to look over his shoulder, she saw that all her friends were still rooted to the same spots that they were in before. She suddenly felt embarrassed.

"Oh…" She said letting go of Walter immediately, "I forgot to introduce you. Everybody, this is Walter, my new boyfriend."

None of them moved. Abby looked terrified to see him, Nigel and Hoagie had dropped the comic books from their hands, and Wally was still at the door, the knob slowly being crushed inside his fist.

"Er…hello everybody…" Walter said uncomfortably.

"Hi," Abby was the first to finally speak.

"Hello," Nigel followed.

"Hey there," Hoagie added.

Wally still didn't say anything.

In an attempt to maintain their courtesy, Nigel, Abby and Hoagie came up to Walter to introduce themselves. As they closed in, Kuki realized that he was shorter than all of them except for her. Maybe that's why Wally didn't see him in the doorway at first. Maybe that's why he doesn't seem to see him now. He just had his sincere, devastated stare focused on her and her alone.

•••

Kuki was barely able to talk to Walter for the rest of that day. Ever since he arrived, Nigel, Abby and Hoagie had cornered him to the couch and bombarded with him with questions.

"Where are you from?"

"What school do you go to?"

"How did you meet Kuki?"

"What games are you into?"

"You like Rainbow Monkeys?"

"Are you serious?"

He accepted their questions graciously. Every now and then, he would glance over at the poker table and grin at Kuki. For each time, she sweetly smiled back.

At one point, however, after he had turned back to everyone, her eyes went beyond him and landed upon the boy who sat isolated at the other far end of the couch.

Wally hasn't spoken since Walter arrived. He merely withdrew to the side and watched TV. From time to time, he would glance to his side and scoff at the commotion next to him.

Then, as if he sensed her staring, Wally looked at Kuki. She smiled at him but he merely ignored her and turned back to the TV. She sighed sadly. She hated being ignored by him. Hoping for a distraction, he turned to the deck of cards sitting before her and began a game of solitaire. Just when she finished setting up the game, a voice spoke in front of her.

"Hey."

She looked up and blinked at the sight of Wally sitting across the table.

"Hi," She said quietly.

He stared at her for a long time. There was something strange about the way he looked. He seemed uncomfortable again, but in a way that frustrated him.

"So what's up?" She said.

"Nothing..."

He turned away from her and leaned back onto the wall next to the table. He was watching everyone as they continued to ask Walter questions.

"Where'd he come from?" He asked blankly.

"You mean Walter?"

"Who else?"

"I met him at the toy store three days ago."

"You didn't tell me that you and Wallace were over."

"I know, and I'm sorry. I guess I couldn't find the time.

"I had to find out from Hoagie…"

She sank down into her seat, ashamed by the sound of his disappointment. She wanted to change the subject.

"What were you going to tell me earlier, before Walter arrived?"

He didn't say anything, though he didn't show any sign of not hearing her. Thinking that it didn't matter, she attempted another topic.

"Where's Kathy? I didn't see her at all today."

Still staring towards everyone at the couch, he rolled his eyes and fumed.

"I broke up with her three days ago."


	9. Sharper Than the Last Stab

**Author's Note: lol. I was hoping this story would only be five chapters but I went WAY beyond that. Sorry but I just keep coming up with some stuff to write. At least I'm writing, right? Haha!! Anyway, I like what I just wrote so I hope you'll like it too. I hope you guys like Walter. But I hope you like Wally more. That's all I'm gonna say about this chapter. ENJOY:)**

**Chapter 9: Sharper than the Last Stab**

Walter was the sweetest thing. In the course of just one week, he had managed to win over _almost_ everyone's heart. He and Nigel got along quite well, often having discussions about serious issues. He and Hoagie didn't have a problem at all, for they had the same sense of humor and laughed at the same things. Even Abby has granted him a hard-earned approval, which he rightfully won by treating her with nothing but utter respect. He was perfect. All was well.

"Ooh, flowers!" Kuki exclaimed as soon as Walter walked into the clubhouse carrying a bouquet of flowers in his hands.

"Dad just came from the set of the new Rainbow Monkeys movie," He said as he handed them to her, "There was an excess of flowers from the set so he brought some home. It's all over our house and I figured you might want some."

Kuki dug her nose into the bouquet and lovingly inhaled its fragrance.

"Thank you so much," She kissed Walter on the cheek, "I love them."

She walked over to the TV set and grabbed an empty vase that was resting on top of it.

"Get out of the way, you're blocking the TV," Someone said irritably.

She turned and frowned at Wally, who was sitting quietly at the couch with eyes that seem to penetrate beyond her and focus straight on the TV. He has been very short-tempered lately, especially with her. Not wanting to bother with his attitude, she moved over the water cooler next to the window and filled the vase with water. When she was done, she put the flowers in it and set it down on the window seal. She took some time to admire it. As she did, she listened to the conversation behind her.

"Hey Walter, did you see that episode of Yipper last night?" Hoagie's voice reached her ear.

"Yeah, I saw it. It was a re-run though. They've aired that episode before."

"Really? I didn't know that… It was still cool though."

"Yeah, it was a good episode. It's one of my favorites."

"Geeks…" Kuki heard Abby mumble. They all heard it.

"Hey! Yipper is cool!" Walter laughed, "Even Wally and Nigel watch it!"

"Don't get me involved in that," Nigel laughed.

Wally didn't say anything, and even though she couldn't see him, Kuki could imagine him still staring at the TV with the same crossed look on his face. It didn't matter, she thought. She just enjoyed hearing the laughter of her friends behind her, proud to know that they were in good terms with her boyfriend. She really does like him.

Only a few moments after the first conversation ended, a new one emerged. It was one that brought shock to the whole room as soon as Walter spoke.

"Hey Wally, I have something for you."

Kuki spun around sharply, only to find that everyone in the room all turned to watch as well. Walter was still standing within the distance between the door and the couch. Wally's head was turned towards him, looking irritated and curious.

"Didn't you say you like wrestling?" Walter asked him.

"…Yeah," he said blankly, "So?"

"Here you go."

He held out what looked like a photo. Upon seeing it, Wally jumped up and leaved over the get a closer look. His eyes were wide with shock.

"Is that…?"

"An autographed photo of Froggy McDougal, yeah. I went with my Dad earlier to the Rainbow Monkeys set and he was there because apparently his daughter is a fan of the series. I remembered that Hoagie told me that he's your favorite wrestler so I figured you might like this."

Wally reached for the autograph excitedly but stopped before he could even touch it.

"What's wrong?" Walter asked him, "You don't want it?"

"This is priceless…" Wally said, eyeing him suspiciously, "Why are _you_ giving it to _me_?"

"I'm not really a fan wrestling. I just got the autograph because of you. I have no reason, really. It's just a friendly gesture, I guess..."

Wally looked terribly confused, like he didn't know whether to thank Walter, or punch him in the face. In a bean bag in the corner, Abby was staring at Walter as if he had just done a stunt. From the poker table, Nigel watched, completely dumbfounded, and Hoagie looked like he as about to die of suppressed laughter. Kuki was still standing next to the cooler. Out of all of them, she was most amazed.

Wally finally took the autograph from Walter's hands.

"Thanks…" He mumbled.

"No prob."

As if nothing unusual had happened, he walked over to Kuki, smiling as usual. It was then that everything went back to normal. Abby continued reading her magazine, Nigel and Hoagie carried on their game, and the wrestling match on TV entered another round.

"That was awfully nice of you," Kuki told Walter, trying her best to sound impressed rather than shocked.

"I'm just trying to be a good guy. Besides," He leaned in and whispered, "I have a feeling that he doesn't like me. I just want to be in good terms with him since he's your friend and all."

Looking into his subtle, green eyes, Kuki found no deception. She could tell he was being honest. She smiled at him admiringly and gave him a loving hug. As soon as she got a view over his shoulder, her eyes led to the couch. Wally was still staring at Walter, at the two of them, still holding the picture in his hands. He still looked terribly confused and incredibly aggravated. Most of all, he looked defeated.

•••

Another week passed, more time from everyone to fall in love with Walter. He really did fit in quite well. It made Kuki happy.

Even Wally no longer had an excuse to complain. Even to him, Walter's perfection was obvious. Because of that, his short temper had gone. Now he just resolved to silence. He hardly spoke at all.

The clubhouse was livelier than usual. Nigel and Abby were at the poker table, arguing about what to do for the weekend. Hoagie was sitting with them, in the midst of their argument, but his attention was caught up in a portable video game, and he groaned as loud as they did as he played. Walter and Kuki were sitting in the bean bag, sharing jokes and stories, laughing, and cuddling close. The TV was turned up loudly, on the wrestling channel, adding more noise in the clubhouse. Wally merely stared at it, quiet and alone on the couch.

A few weeks ago, this situation would've been a little different. Yes, Nigel and Abby still would've been arguing. Yes, Hoagie still would've been stuck at level three of his game. But Walter wouldn't be there. And Wally wouldn't be so quiet. In fact, he would be cheering his favorite wrestler, and Kuki would've been there with him on the couch, complaining about the violence of wrestling and nagging him to switch to the Rainbow Monkeys channel. Eventually they would've ended up in another argument, another battle over the remote control.

_Anything to be able to talk to her… Any excuse just to touch her… If it's too complicated to do as a friend, so do it as an enemy… Anything…_

But things are different now. He can no longer do those things anymore. He can no longer argue with her, especially since Walter is there to distract her. He can no longer wrestle her, or even flick her forehead to annoy her, especially since Walter is there to protect and hug her. He can't even tell her that she deserves a better boyfriend anymore, especially since Walter, lovely and oh-so-perfect Walter, has rightfully earned her attention. He no longer had an excuse. He had nothing now, but an awkward friendship to hold on to.


	10. The Unexpected Visitor

**Author's Note: Okay, three things about this chapter - one, it's short. Two, it's "a little" dramatized in terms of physicality. Three, I think it's funny as hell!! By the way, YES, the names of the "others" are quite similar to Wally and Kuki's name. I did that on purpose. lol. Also, just to let you know, the chapters that will follow this MIGHT get shorter. I don't know because I haven't written them yet. Anyway, here's the next bit. ENJOY:) **

**Chapter 11: An Unexpected Visitor**

The noise in the clubhouse stopped abruptly when the door slammed open and someone ran in, crashed onto the couch, and landed violently on Wally. Everyone stood instinctively as the scene occurred quickly before their eyes. Kuki gasped in horror, while Nigel and Hoagie immediately rushed to Wally's defense. Before they could even take a step, he had already single-handedly pinned down his attacker.

"Geez, Beatles. You weren't kidding when you said you have good reflexes."

There on the couch, stuck beneath Wally's strong grip, was a girl. She had long blonde hair with dark highlights, tied up in a ponytail with a few strands hanging loose down the sides of her face.

"Are you crazy?!" Wally scowled as he got off her, "If I hadn't recognized you right away, I would've broken your neck!"

"Awww," The girl laughed as she sat up, "Do I sense a bit of affection disguised in that oh so masculine rage of yours?"

He rolled his eyes, making her laugh even more.

"OH MY GOSH!" She exclaimed when she spotted the autographed picture of Froggy McDougal on the table next to the couch, "Is this thing real?!"

"Yeah, _he_ gave it to me," Wally nodded towards Walter.

"Dude, where did you get this?!" She asked him.

Walter re-told the story about his father's profession and meeting Froggy McDougal at the studio.

"That's so awesome…!" The girl said dreamily with gleaming eyes, "You actually _met_ him! And at a Rainbow Monkeys set too! That only shows that he has a sensitive side… It's so sweet!"

"_You_ like Rainbow Monkeys?" Wally asked her, raising one eyebrow, "_You_?"

"Well I don't watch the shows or anything, but I still think those things are cute as hell! What's that song of they sing again? _Rainbow Monkeys, Rainbow Monkeys, oh so very round and super funky_!"

"Erm…it's _chunky_."

The girl turned around and looked at Kuki. "It's what?"

"Chunky," She said, "Oh so very round and super _chunky_."

"Oh!" The girl laughed, "Wow that was dumb of me!"

There was silence in the room after that. Looking around, it was only then that she realized that everyone was watching her.

"Hello everyone," She said playfully, "How are you all doing?"

No one answered. Apparently, everyone was still in shock of her grand entrance. Wally broke the silence with a sigh.

"Everyone," He said, "This is Katie, my girlfriend."

There would have been another silence if Katie hadn't suddenly coiled in the couch and said in a sarcastically bubbly way, "Awww, you called me your girlfriend! I'm so touched!"

"Shut up," Wally snapped at her.

"No, you shut up!" She snapped back.

As she laughed wildly at her own comeback, a smile spread across Wally's face. It was the same mischievous grin that was his signature. It made him look happy, unlike how he had been for the last few weeks.

As he and Katie jokingly snapped at each other, they seemed unaware of awkwardness and curiosity that lingered in the rest of the room, victimizing everyone else who still had no idea what was going on.

Kuki stood in the corner next to Walter. As she stared at the grin on Wally's face, the one that made him look quite gleeful, she was greeted by a sudden pain that seemed to accompany every fierce beat of her heart.

•••

Her name is Katie, Wally met her at the arcade, and she likes everything that he likes. That was basically everything that everybody learned by afternoon of that day. Having nothing better to do for that day, they all ended up in the park where they witnessed the oddly similar behavior that the new couple shared with each other.

"Geez, this is embarrassing. She throws a football stronger than I do…" Hoagie said in embarrassment.

The whole gang, including Walter, was sitting on a picnic mat on the side of the field. In the distance, Wally and Katie were throwing a football back and forth. They all noticed that every single one of her throws was as perfect as Wally's.

"You didn't know about her?" Nigel asked Hoagie.

"Who? Katie? No. He didn't tell me about her. Did he tell you?"

"No. I don't think he told any of us."

They all looked at each other. The silence between them confirmed that nobody had known about her until now.

"Well, I asked him about her earlier," Abby said, "They've been going out for a week."

"How long have they known each other?" Kuki asked.

"About two weeks. He met her just around the time that you and Walter started going out."

The quality of the silence between them changed from curiosity to awkwardness. All but Walter seemed to feel it.

The silence was interrupted when Katie suddenly crashed onto Walter, knocking him sideward, and violently flipping over him. She landed on her back, on the grassy ground.

"Sorry about that!" She said to everyone as she stood up and turned back to the open field. She roared, "I AM SO GONNA KICK YOUR BUTT FOR THAT!"

Wally was in the distance, lying on the ground. At first, he looked like he was having a seizure but everyone realized that he was actually laughing. He was laughing so hard that he had fallen to the ground. Apparently, he thought it was funny to pick Katie up and hurl her towards the gang.

Everyone was completely shocked by it. Kuki could personally imagine herself crying if Wally, or any guy for that matter, had done that to her. But as it was, Katie didn't seem offended, but more motivated to get Wally. As soon as she regained her balance, she charged at him at full speed. He got back to his feet in time just to run away from her. But because he had a delayed start, and her speed was at par with his, she caught up to him. She landed on his back and clung on. He was still laughing.

They landed on the ground and began to wrestle. Their movement was a striking resemblance to the wrestling matches that Wally watches on TV.

"Oh my god, they're so violent!" Walter said, unable to take his eyes off of them.

"And it looks like they're actually having fun…!" Hoagie added, equally amazed.

As they all watched the couple indulge in their violent flirtations, none of them could deny the chemistry between the two. It was just as strong as the chemistry between Kuki and Walter. It was an amazingly perfect match.

Kuki sat there watching with everyone else. Somehow, despite the fact that her arm was around her lovely Walter, and the fact that Wally and Katie's energy was incredibly infectious, she couldn't avoid the knots that have formed in her stomach.


	11. Grudges

**Author's Note: Hehehe, okay. I have a COUPLE of reasons for that long delay: FINALS, WRITER'S BLOCK, SOCIAL LIFE and WORK. But at least Chapter 12 is here. YAY! Enjoy:) **

**Chapter 12: Grudges**

Kuki looked around the empty clubhouse and smiled when she spotted a present lying on the couch. She picked it up and observed every detail of it. Just by judging its very appearance, she could easily tell who was responsible for which feature. The ivory wrapper and the light blue ribbon around it were probably the work of Nigel's hands. He had quite a talent in wrapping gifts, and the results were always beautiful. The blank card in the corner was probably from Abby. She never forgets to leave a caring note. And when Kuki shook the box and heard the sound of garment rustling inside, she knew she had Hoagie to thank. He was the one who suggested and provided the Yipper t-shirt that had Walter's favorite character on it.

Kuki sat down on the couch and picked up a pencil from the end table. She took a second to ponder a good message before writing on the card:

_Happy two-month Anniversary! I'm glad to be with you. From, Kuki._

She read it a couple of times and felt unsatisfied with it. It was lacking something. She then erased one word, replaced it with another, and re-read it for the last time.

_Happy two-month Anniversary! I'm glad to be with you. Love, Kuki._

She smiled. It was perfect.

She placed the present on the end table and remained in the couch for the next few minutes. It was quiet. Everyone else had plans that day, and Walter had to go with his Dad to the studio. Therefore, she was left alone with nothing to do.

Kuki let out a deep, bored sigh. Before she could complete it, the door behind her slammed open and Katie came crashing in.

"BEATLES!!!!!"

Kuki yelped and dived to the side while Katie flung over the couch and landed hard on the spot on the floor in front of it.

"Ow…!" She moaned.

"Are you alright?" Kuki finally managed to say after recovering from shock.

"Yeah…," Katie answered as she transferred to the couch, "Sorry about that. I was listening through the door and heard sounds, and I thought it might be Wally. It's a good thing you have good reflexes too. I could've crashed onto you."

Kuki smiled graciously. "Why do you always jump on Wally anyway?"

"No reason. It's just fun. It kind of became our signature greeting, kind of like how you and Walter hug for a really long time every time you see each other."

There was silence for a moment.

"My butt hurts…" Katie said randomly.

When Kuki gave her a puzzled look, she broke into laughter. As she did, Kuki stared at her and couldn't help but admire her bright brown eyes and her wide, beautiful smile. Her grin was just like Wally's; it emanated some kind of mischievous joy.

"So, where's everybody?" Katie asked when she finished laughing.

"Nigel went fishing with his father, Abby is out with her family, Hoagie went to the library to look for a book about early models of airplanes, and Wally is – "

" – Helping his Mom out with grocery shopping for their next barbecue, that's right," Katie finished her sentence, "You know, for a really tough guy, he's such a Mama's boy."

Kuki felt a tingling down her spine as a smile curled upon her lips. "Yes, he is."

"I have a question."

Kuki looked up. Katie was eyeing her curiously. "What is it?"

"I know this would be an awkward subject, and we don't have to talk about it if you're not cool with it, but… Have you and Wally every dated?"

Kuki's toes froze, and the chill slowly crept up to the rest of her body. She wondered if there was a catch to the question. But after knowing Katie for weeks, and looking directly into her eyes, she couldn't find any legitimate reason for such a suspicion. "N-no… Why do you ask?"

"No reason, I'm just curious. It's kind of stupid of me to say this, but you and him make a really cute…you know…"

"Oh…"

"And he's told me about that too."

The chill that possessed Kuki's body intensified. All of a sudden, she found that she was not only shock, but desperately curious. "What do you mean he told you about it?"

"He told me that everyone's always saying you two make a cute couple."

"Well, we were never quite fond of that presumption from people. It would be awkward for us to date each other because he and I are too – "

" – Different?"

"…Yes. How did you know?"

"He told me the same thing."

"Oh…Well yes, that's the reason. He and I argue too much. It's mostly because he tends to be so – "

" – Sexist?"

"Er…yeah. He told you that too?"

Katie grinned at her. It seemed like she was beginning to enjoy finishing Kuki's sentences.

"Most of his opinions are okay, really. I just don't like the way he takes it too far, like how he says girls are too soft."

"I totally know what you mean. That's why I work hard to be strong all the time. So I can beat up boys." Katie laughed as she flexed a strong feminine muscle on her arm.

Watching her, Kuki couldn't help but smile as it was difficult to deny her fondness for this girl.

"So why didn't you date him?" Katie carried on the conversation.

"I already told you."

"Oh. That's your only reason?"

"Yes. What else would there be?"

"I don't know. But Wally told me that he didn't do anything because you didn't like him."

That statement rang in Kuki's ears a couple of times. She tried to imagine Wally saying it. Somehow, it sounded possible. When she looked back at Katie, she saw the she was still staring at her inquisitively. "I hope this isn't bothering you… We're only friends, you know…"

"Oh! No, no, no, don't worry about it. I'm not asking you just because I'm dating him. I was just curious."

"Oh. Okay."

"Besides, if you two are soulmates," She laughed, "I don't think he'll complain if I hand him over to you."

Although she meant it as a joke, the chill inside Kuki softened until it became warmth. Meanwhile, she felt closer to Katie, more than she had ever been for the past few weeks.

•••

They spent the next hour in conversation, just the two of them. They're topics ranged from childhood stories of the gang, to interpretations of Wally's gestures, and even to Rainbow Monkeys.

"I still can't believe you don't watch Rainbow Monkeys!" Kuki said.

"I know, I know…" Katie sighed, "I'd watch it but Wrestling airs in the exact same time slot. I watch that instead."

There was silence for a while and within it, a grumbling noise emerged.

"Oops," Katie blushed, "S'cuse me. That was my stomach. Geez, I'm starving. You wanna go out and eat somewhere?"

Kuki froze, not knowing what to say. Although she's handled Katie's presence for the past few weeks, this was the first time, she realized, that they've been alone together. And now there she was, asking her to go out and eat, and she didn't know what to say.

"Don't worry, it's my treat." Katie took out a large roll of cash from her pocket.

"Wow, you have lot of money!"

"It's not really mine, it's my mom's. She says she wants me to go shopping for new clothes… She wants me to buy a dress too 'cause she never sees me wear one."

"Well shouldn't you be doing that now?"

"Yeah, but I'm hungry…"

Katie shrugged her shoulders and sighed. Then all of a sudden, she jumped up with a gleam in her eyes.

"Hey, I have an idea! Why don't you go with me?"

"M-me…?" Kuki said incredulously.

"Yeah! I've seen you wear dresses, and you always look nice in them. You can help me pick out some clothes!"

"But…I don't know…"

"PLEASE, KUKI!" Katie dived onto the couch and clutched onto her arm, begging loudly, "IF I DON'T GO HOME WITH ANY NEW CLOTHES MY MOM WILL LOCK ME OUT AND I'LL HAVE TO SLEEP IN THE BACKYARD!!!!"

Although Kuki tried with all her effort to say no, her uncontrollable laughter stopped her. Katie's parodies of emotional antics never failed to make her laugh. "Okay, okay!" She said between breaths of laughter, "I'll go with you!"

"YES!" Katie exclaimed in victory.

•••

"I'll have the Big Burger Supreme," Katie said to the waiter happily.

"I'll have the Garden Salad," Kuki said afterwards.

The waiter took back their menus and walked away.

"Aaaaahhhh...," Katie stretched in relief, "Nothing like a good meal after a day of shopping. Can't wait for that burger!"

"You got the same meal that Wally always gets," Kuki said.

"Yep, he and I kind of eat the same things all the time. Chips, chili dogs, cheese fries, cheeseburgers…"

"Wow. You don't look like you eat that kind of food. You're really fit."

"Hmm… I guess it's because of sports. They really take a lot from you. Soccer, Swimming, Martial Arts, Baseball…"

Kuki watched her as she mentally counted down her activities. All that time, she couldn't help but only notice how pretty she was and how nice and funny she is. Most of all, she couldn't help but admit why Wally likes her. Although her mind was filled with admiration, her heart accompanied it with a grudging feeling. Most people would call it jealousy.


	12. A Lamentaion

**_Author's Note: Okay, this chapter is a little messy because I didn't proof read it. And sorry for the huge delay again. But yeah...ENJOY:)_  
**

**Chapter 13: A Lamentation of Bliss**

"What the heck happened to you?"

Wally was sitting on the couch looking back with a face that was both terrified and shocked.

"What?" Katie laughed, "You don't like it?"

She twisted and turned, modeling the blue dress she had on. The look on his face didn't change.

"It looks okay…" He finally said as he approached her, "It's just that I've never seen you in a dress before. Where'd you get it?"

"Kuki picked it out for me."

He stopped dead in his tracks, although it wasn't quite obvious since he was already right in front of her. But instead of looking at her, he looked at the girl standing next to her.

Kuki coiled a little bit as his eyes shot her. There was clear shock on his face, with a bit of painful confusion mingling with it. She understood very well why it was there. It's been like an odd game lately, and once again she made an unintentionally offensive move.

"You went shopping with her?" He asked, pointing from her to Katie respectively.

"Yep, she did," Katie answered on her behalf, "I told her about what Mom said about my clothes and she decided to help me out. Isn't that great?"

"Yeah…" He answered quietly, "It is…"

Within the few seconds that they stared at each other, his focus suddenly moved down to the dress that she was wearing. It was the same dress that Katie had on, except it was green. His lips shook a bit. He tried to speak but he couldn't. Whatever it was that he wanted to say, it was evidently difficult to express.

"You look – "

"You look lovely!"

Walter had come out of nowhere and kissed Kuki on the cheek. His sudden appearance made her jump and it was a strange reaction for her to do, especially since she had known that he was there. She saw him from the moment she and Katie entered the clubhouse.

"Thank you…" She uttered back.

"How was shopping?"

"It was great. Look what I got."

She held up a Rainbow Monkey purse.

"Wow!" Walter exclaimed, "You got the new one!"

"Yeah, I did. Well…Katie got it for me."

"Really?" Walter turned to Katie.

"I had to give her something," She said, "She was nice enough to help me shop."

"That's so nice of you, Katie"

"Thanks."

As the two exchanged gratitude, Kuki stole a quick glance at Wally. He was no longer staring at her, but at the purse that hung from her arm. His eyes seemed to burn. That alone prompted her to trigger a new topic.

"So were you here long?" She asked Walter.

"A couple of hours."

"Oh! I'm sorry… I lost track of time while we were shopping."

"That's okay. Wally kept me company. We played video games."

Her eyes widened to the best of their ability. She then looked at Wally, in the exact same way that he looked at her when he first found out that she went shopping with Katie.

"I thought you said you don't play video games?" She asked Walter, hoping to get an answer that would tranquilize her disbelief.

"I don't, but he taught me a thing or two. We had nothing else to do."

Walter had that gleam of innocence in his eyes again, the one that emanated nothing but pure honesty.

"I really suck at it," He laughed.

"He's getting better," Wally added.

She stared at him again. He was getting back at her quite well.

"By the way," Walter said holding up a Rainbow Monkey Wallet, "This is for you. Happy Second Month."

"Wow!" Kuki burst out as she accepted it, "I love it! Thank you so much, Walter."

"COOL!" Katie exclaimed, "You have a new Rainbow Monkey purse _and_ a new Rainbow Monkey wallet! Quick, show him your gift to him."

"Oh! You're right!" Kuki said excitedly. She ran to the TV where she retrieved the gift she had hidden behind it and gave it to Walter. As she had hoped, he was gleeful upon seeing what he got.

"A Yipper shirt!" He said, "This is great! Thank you, Kuki."

"Actually, you should thank Hoagie," She said, "He's the one who had it made."

Before another word was said, they were interrupted.

"Actually…" Wally cut in.

Even just from hearing that word, along with the look on his face, Kuki already knew that she was in for another blow.

"I was the one who had that shirt made," He said quietly, "Hoagie came up with the idea, but I was the one who obtained the shirt. I just passed it on to him and he gave it to you."

"Oh…" Kuki said, her voice slightly shaking, "Well…thank you…"

"Yeah, thank you, Wally," Walter said happily, "That's nice of you."

"No problem…"

"Well, anyway," He turned back to Kuki, "We should go. We have dinner reservations."

"Oh…sure."

As she agreed to his invitation, she also heard one addressed to Wally.

"Hey Wally, my dad just got a forty-two-inch plasma TV," Katie said, "You wanna watch wrestling at my house?"

"Sure, that sounds cool."

"Awesome. Now hold my shopping bags," Katie laughed, holding up her stock, "Kuki said that gentlemen carry things for their ladies. So you better get a move on."

Surprisingly, Wally didn't argue. He even grinned a little bit and took the bags from her. Meanwhile, Walter took Kuki's hand as they all prepared to leave.

Within that time, Kuki and Wally caught a quick glance of each other. A two-month-long relationship is about to be celebrated and a fun afternoon in front of a wide-screen TV was about to occur. Everything around them seemed well, except for the way they looked at each other.

The two couples walked together through the neighborhood. Along the way, there were a lot of gags and sweet little touches. While Wally was locking Katie in a tight bear hug, Kuki was cuddling Walter's arm tightly. Everyone seemed to be having fun. Finally, they reached the town park, the point where they separate, the point where Wally and Kuki had always separated on the way home. Walter and Katie didn't seem to notice the gloom that had suddenly draped over Wally and Kuki. But as they bid each other goodbye, there was more to it than the simplicity of their temporary farewells.

The day went on smoothly. After having a romantic dinner at a lovely Italian restaurant, Walter took Kuki straight home where he bid her goodnight at her doorstep. They didn't kiss, but they had a sweet parting. He waited for her to get in first before he walked away. It was so gentlemanly. It was as romantic as she could wish for.

That night, she lay in bed, recalling the moments she spent with Walter. But somehow, other things kept getting in the way of her thoughts. The look in Wally's eyes kept popping into her mind, in between scenes of her sweet thoughts of Walter. She just couldn't forget it.

She turned over and found herself looking at the photo on her end table again; the same photo that she had looked at a few weeks ago, the one that helped her gather the willpower to start dating people and stop hoping for Wally. Her focus landed on the tiny details of the picture again, especially the opposing places upon which she and Wally stood. It was the same now, just like always. There she lay, with a boyfriend different from the one she had started out with and the one she asked for in the first place, but a perfect boyfriend nonetheless. Walter is great. As for the other end, where Wally stood, there was Katie. She's beautiful, funny, and nice, and she knows how to have a good time, one that Wally would appreciate.

Kuki rolled over and turned away from the photo. Despite all the gleeful thoughts, tears had seeped through her eyes.

"Yes…" She whispered to herself, "Things are finally perfect…"


	13. The End of a So Called Friendship

**_Author's Note: I have nothing to say. Just enjoy. ;)_  
**

**Chapter 14: The End of a So-Called Friendship**

It was the quite possibly one of the most tragic silences that Kuki has ever endured. As if isolated from the rest of the restaurant, the table that she and Walter sat in was quiet and gloomy.

"I'm really sorry…" She said softly.

"Don't be," He responded kindly, "I understand."

Her lips curled into a subtle smile as she stared at the innocence in his eyes. She placed her hand on his. "You really are a great guy. I'm crazy for doing this…"

"Don't feel guilty. We had a good ten weeks anyway. Besides, we can still be friends."

"Is there at least anything I can do to make it up?"

He smiled sweetly at her. "Say the name of the reason why you're breaking up with me."

Her eyes widened with shock. The question was so unexpected that she broke into laughter, which ended immediately after she realized that he was serious.

"Come on, I know you have an answer," Walter teased.

"Walter, that's ridiculous!" She said.

He laughed a bit. "Let me help you out. I'm guessing it starts with a W, and it's neither me nor Wallace."

She said nothing in response, but her silence was enough to confirm the truth in his statement.

"Don't worry. I've known that for a long time now. I can tell from the way you look at him. And I can tell he cares about you too."

Though the guilt possessed every fiber of her body, Kuki was able to pull off a smile. "You really are amazing…"

"I know."

This time, they both laughed.

Ten minutes later, they were out of the restaurant. Before they parted, they shared a good hug. Unlike the ones they had before, this one wasn't intimate. It was friendly.

•••

Kuki stood alone on the sidewalk, staring at the town park before her. She looked to her left and right, at the two different paths that led to two different neighborhoods: hers and Wally's. She remembered that moment from two weeks ago, when she stood on that very spot with Walter, Katie and Wally. Particularly, she remembered how they bid each other goodbye, and how painful the farewell she gave Wally felt.

That was the last straw, she knew from then on. She couldn't take it anymore. She could no longer endure seeing the smile on Wally's face every time Katie made him laugh. Even more, she could no longer endure her own smiling face when Walter does the same thing to her. Eventually, she resolved to ending things with Walter. She figured that it was indecent to lead on a relationship with him when her feelings for Wally continuously persisted within her. And although she knew that ending her own happiness wouldn't change her chances with Wally, she knew it was the best thing to do. After all, despite the beauty of it, her perfect relationship didn't feel right. She and Walter were two right things making a wrong.

She started walking home. Halfway through the journey, she stopped again and found herself at an intersection, left with two choices: turn right towards Nigel's house hence the clubhouse, or keep walking straight to her home. Ten minutes later, she was walking through the side of Nigel's house and towards the clubhouse.

"What are you doing here?"

Kuki stood quietly in the doorway, startled by the unexpected greeting she received. She could've sworn that the clubhouse was going to be empty that day, knowing that everyone had something else to do. But to her surprise, Wally was up ahead, sitting on the couch and head turned looking back at her.

"What are _you_ doing here?" She asked.

"I asked you first."

"I just wanted to hang out."

"Alone?"

"Yeah, what about you?"

He was silent for a second. "Same thing, I guess…"

He turned away from her and leaned back, so much that his head rested completely over the arch of the couch. For a long time, he stared quietly at the ceiling. Seeing that the TV was off, Kuki had a hunch that he had been doing this for a while even before she came.

She awkwardly stood on the same spot, contemplating on what to do next. A part of her wanted to turn around and walk away. She didn't want to spend another awkward moment with Wally, especially just after her break-up with Walter. But then another part of her knew that it wasn't even an option to leave. She had already established her presence. What would he think if she left? She closed the door behind her and decided to face the tension ahead of her.

She settled down on the couch, keeping a certain distance between him and her self. Just as she expected, the silence was awkward and intimidating. This stretched on for a long period of time, which she spent trying to figure out what to say. Nothing came up. In the meantime, Wally didn't move a muscle.

Eventually, she reached the point of desperation and reached for the remote control. Before she could get a hold of it, Wally's voice sliced through the cold silence.

"I don't feel like watching TV right now."

She didn't hesitate to back off from the remote control. In no time, she was back to the silence of the room. More minutes passed by, each feeling like an eternity, before she was desperate enough to start talking about wrestling. She was interrupted before she could even start.

"How was your day?"

She stared at Wally and blinked a few times. He hadn't moved since she sat down and yet the words came out of him so swiftly.

"Did you hear me?" He said. This time, he finally turned to her. He looked puzzled (and annoyed) by her silence.

"Er…what?" She mumbled, hardly recovered from his first statement.

He sighed and stared back at the ceiling again. "I said how was your day?"

He sounded irritated and it didn't help her handle her verbal clumsiness. Nonetheless, she responded immediately. "It was okay."

"What did you do?"

"I had lunch."

"How was it?"

She thought of Walter. "…It was okay."

"Where did you eat?"

"At that place called 'Tony's'."

"That place isn't good. You shouldn't have eaten there. Their pasta is the worst I've ever tasted – "

He went on and on and throughout the conversation, she just watched him. He hasn't taken his eyes away from the ceiling at all, and he said everything in a blank tone, yet he didn't seem bothered by the awkwardness between them. He spoke comfortably.

" – and I know you like salads but don't bother ordering one from there. It tastes like crap. Next time you wanna eat out, just go somewhere else."

When he finally finished talking, the silence was on again. But after seeing how unaffected he was by it, Kuki found no reason to be uncomfortable anymore. Therefore, she leaned back on the couch, just like he did, and took her turn to start a conversation this time.

"So, where's Katie?" She asked, not knowing what else to talk about.

"She's out camping with her family."

"Oh. Is that why you're here? You don't have anyone to hang out with?"

"No. I haven't seen with Katie for six days."

"She went camping that long?"

"No."

"Then what is it?"

He was silent for a while, and the awkwardness slowly crept back in. It went on full blast as soon as he spoke again, "We broke up a week ago."

The awkwardness gleefully danced around Kuki's head, making her incapable of comfort and not knowing what to say next except for, "WHAT?"

He moved his head around slightly until a comforting sound of a crack came from his neck. He seemed aggravated again. But as he spoke, he never once looked at her. "It was last Sunday, just the day after we saw you and Walter. We decided to go running at the park. After a few rounds, we stopped to rest and we got to talking."

"That's when you broke up?"

"Yeah. She said it was the best thing for us since our relationship wasn't going anywhere."

Kuki replayed his words in her head. She didn't know if she heard him right. "Wait, so…she broke up with you?"

"Well I brought it up, but she was the one who officially ended it so…yeah. She dumped me."

"Oh…I'm so sorry."

"It's alright. It ended well. At least she didn't make a scene. When I broke up with Kathy, we were at the park and she screamed so loud that kids ran and cried to their moms."

An image appeared in Kuki's head. It was that day from weeks ago when she saw Wally with Kathy at the park. She remembers crying about it because she thought he had kissed her. Apparently, she was wrong.

"But I'm glad Katie was reasonable about it," He went on, "In fact, I kind of knew the whole time that she was right."

"What do you mean?"

"She wasn't wrong when she said we were going nowhere. We had fun together but we felt more like friends that an actual couple. Come to think of it, I never even kissed her. It would've been weird."

"Wow… I still can't believe it though. You guys were so perfect for each other."

"That's the hard part. I actually liked her."

Although she had brought the statement out of him, Kuki's chest tightened upon hearing his words.

"I felt so bad about messing things up with her that I wouldn't let her go until she let me make up for it."

"How'd you do that?"

He turned to her and showed a faded black eye on his left eye. "I let her punch me. I figured it would somehow redeem for my incompetence to her."

"That's a strange thing to offer."

"She didn't think so. She didn't even hesitate about it because she thought it was funny."

The image of Katie laughing at Wally's swollen eyes appeared in Kuki's mind. It wasn't hard to imagine and she ended up giggling herself. "I guess it worked out for both of you.

"Yeah, it did. She had fun with it while it made me realize that I really wouldn't be comfortable being with a girl who could punch as hard as I can. It all worked out."

"You two really are strange…"

"Well it doesn't matter," He said leaning back again, "It's over now."

And there was silence again. Just when Kuki thought that another eternity of awkwardness was to start, Wally saved her from it.

"How are you and Walter doing?" He asked.

She hesitated in answering. She didn't know if she was ready to tell anyone. Then again, he played his card. Now it was her turn. "We broke up."

He reacted the same way she did to his news, jolting up and looking at her. This time, it was her who didn't make eye contact. "When did that happen?" He asked.

"I was with him at 'Tony's', that's how we got to talking. But it was like you and Katie. It ended well too. He was pretty understanding about it."

"Why'd you break up with him?"

She sighed as she tried find a good alternative to telling him that he was the reason. "I guess it didn't feel right… I like him a lot, but he just wasn't for me."

"That's weird. I seriously thought you two were gonna make it. You get along so well. He's like you, except without boobs."

"I guess…" She giggled.

Silence followed their conversation again but it didn't feel awkward anymore. She smiled quietly as she was rather impressed by how well Wally conversed with her. The subtle jokes, the confidence, the charisma…they helped a lot. Therefore the newfound togetherness she felt with him helped her survive the next period of silence without difficulty.

It was a while before the silence was broken again.

"Kuki."

"Hmm?"

"…Will you go out with me?"

She froze. They both did. The words he spoke lingered in the air and in their ears yet it couldn't seem to register.

"Wha…what…?" She asked, looking at him incredulously.

He gave out a deep sigh and finally sat up. He ran a hand through his hair, rubbed the back of his neck and fiddled with the torn whole in his pants; all gestures which Kuki recognized as signs of subliminal discomfort.

"I know it's probably too soon and too sudden," He said quietly, "But I've been thinking about it for a while now…probably longer than you think."

Kuki allowed herself some time to breathe before she was able to speak, "This is so…unexpected!"

"I know," He said, "But I just wanted to let you know before you end up dating someone else again."

He finally looked at her. Upon seeing his eyes, Kuki noticed something. His eyes were proud and masculine, just as she had always known. What she never realized until now is everything else that she had overlooked. They were fierce and intense, just like Wallace's, but also charming and innocent, just like Walter's. Most of all, they were sincere and caring, in a way that Kuki would say was unique only to him and his own way.

"I guess you don't have to answer now…" He said looking away. Though his voice was steady, he still sounded disappointed.

She continued to stare at him. Though she only the side of his head, she saw something very familiar about his expression. He was pouting, very much in the same way that little boy did so, in that photo next to her bed. But this time, he hid behind a teenager's face. Her heart melted at the sight of it, because only then did she realize that she had been sitting next to her _best friend_ this whole time, not a stranger. And now he was offering to be more than that. There was only one answer in her mind and it made her smile.

"Wally," she said.

He looked at her with that same disappointed face, neither anticipating nor grieving.

"You were right about the food at 'Tony's'. It was terrible…"

He looked confused and didn't say anything.

She smiled even more. "Do you wanna go somewhere later? I don't wanna have dinner alone and I'm probably gonna need someone to finish my food if I can't do it on my own."

The disappointment on his face faded away, but it wasn't replaced by any sign of rejoice. Kuki didn't mind because she knew how he felt, judging from how his typically tough eyes softened. As if he noticed it, he looked away before he could expose more of himself.

"I'd like that…" He said quietly.

Kuki smiled to herself. She didn't mind his being reserved. It was typical of him. But then to her surprise, she felt something touch her hand. She looked down only to find his fingers laced around hers. She looked at him and saw that he was looking at her again. They smiled at each other. This time he didn't have his devilish grin. It was a sincere, thoughtful smile.

No longer feeling even a single ounce of tension, she scooted closer to him and welcomed his arm around her shoulders. Although they still felt as opposite as they can be, the awkwardness was gone. They were no longer in a so-called friendship. They've become something that they've wanted from the beginning. They were lovers.

**_END_**


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